A Bridge Builder's Final Journey
Reflecting on Pope Francis's Legacy and the Road Ahead for the Church
Today, April 26, 2025, Catholics around the world witnessed a moment of profound sorrow and reflection: the funeral of Pope Francis. Held in the heart of St. Peter’s Square, the ceremony gathered cardinals, world leaders, and ordinary faithful, all united to honor a man who spent his life urging the world to build bridges, not walls.
Pope Francis's passing on Easter Monday, at the age of 88, marks more than the end of a papacy. It signals the end of a profoundly human and pastoral approach to leadership — one that embraced the poor, welcomed the marginalized, and challenged the Church to go out to the "peripheries." His burial at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, rather than beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, reflects his heart: simple, humble, and profoundly rooted in love for God's people.
As the Church now enters the sede vacante — the time between popes — Catholics are invited to prayerfully accompany the cardinals who will soon gather in conclave to elect the next Successor of Peter. The road ahead is unknown, but the footprints Pope Francis leaves behind offer a map: mercy over judgment, encounter over exclusion, action over apathy.
This pivotal moment calls the faithful to more than mourning. It calls each of us to examine how we, too, are called to be bridge builders in a divided world.
Life Application: How We Can Live Pope Francis’s Legacy
Be a Bridge Builder:
In your family, at work, and in your community — ask yourself, Am I building walls of division or bridges of understanding? Seek to listen first, love second, and judge last.Embrace Simplicity:
Pope Francis’s choice of a simple wooden coffin and his burial among the people reminds us that our lives are not measured by status, but by service. Live simply. Love richly.Prioritize the Marginalized:
Whether it's the lonely neighbor, the struggling coworker, or the overlooked member of your parish — make a deliberate choice to move toward those on the fringes.Pray for the Church:
Enter this historic time with prayer. Pray for the cardinals, for the Church’s unity, and for the next pope — that he may continue the work of renewal, mercy, and mission.
“Go out to the highways and byways. Invite everyone to the feast of life.”
— Inspired by Pope Francis’s call to missionary discipleship