Bishop Kemme: Pope to be remembered for way in which he loved Christ in others

Editor’s Note: Bishop Carl A Kemme delivered the following homily at the Mass for the late Pope Francis that he offered at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday, April 26:

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, the Risen Lord.

Just hours ago, hundreds of thousands gathered at the Vatican in St. Peter’s Square to pray the Mass of Christian Burial for Jorge Mario Bergoglio or as the world has come to know him over these past 12 years, Pope Francis, the 266th successor of St. Peter. 

Because we are members of the Church, which is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, it is right and just that we gather here in our cathedral on the same day to pray for the repose of our beloved Holy Father and to entrust him to the mercy of God. It is fitting that we do this on the eve of Divine Mercy Sunday, in which we recall the infinite mercy God has for those who love him and strive to serve him in this life. May the mercy of God wrap Pope Francis in complete love so that he will share in the eternal life won for him and for all of us by his saving death and resurrection. 

In these days since his somewhat, but not completely, unexpected death, much has been said about Pope Francis and his legacy in the Church. Much more will be said, I am sure, as the Cardinals in Rome prepare to enter the conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. 

Like every leader on a world stage, Pope Francis had his admirers and his critics. I, for one, was an admirer; since his appointment of me as your bishop, nearly 11 years ago, I have felt a special bond with him. A few months after my own consecration, I had the great honor of meeting with him. Our meeting was very brief of course, but in those few moments, I was moved by his engaging eyes and the warmth of his greeting and handshake. I felt like I was the only person in the room. He seemingly had this uncanny ability even in large groups of people. The same was true on the three other occasions I was blessed to see him personally. All of this reminds me in a powerful way that for Pope Francis, the person in front of him was always his only focus. 

Pope Francis had a heart for people, especially the simple, the humble, the poor, the marginalized. How inspiring it was for us to see him wash the feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday or to have lunch with the poor and homeless of Rome or to touch and interact with people most of us would shy away from. This was not fake or staged, but real; in these gestures, we saw the real man, who tried as best he could in our modern world to be Christ’s representative on earth. If there is one thing he brought to the papacy, it was this personal touch, something that made a lasting impression upon anyone blessed enough to be in his company. 

This was true of the public officials, diplomats, heads of state, the powerful of the world, as much as it was true of the homeless person, the disabled person, the child, the lonely, the sick, the imprisoned and the immigrant. Pope Francis desired and executed his papal ministry for and with people; the people were never far from his thoughts. This came out abundantly clear in his simple way to live, resisting many of the trappings usually associated with popes; it came out in in his homilies and letters, which reminded us in no uncertain terms of Christ’s preferential option for the poor; it was seen on full display in his apostolic travels, going to the peripheries, where no pope had gone before. 

I have often thought that Pope Francis would have been an amazing parish priest and pastor and perhaps that is how he wanted to govern the Church, not from a distance or from a remote parapet of the Church, but out among the people, in the center, in the public square, where he came alive when people were close to him. It was amazing to think, then, that his last public event was touring St. Peter’s square, waving to the people, blessing them, caressing a baby or two, like a pastor – and all of this on Easter Sunday, the day of the resurrection.

Like others, I too would have wanted him to be less ambiguous in his teaching, clearer in keeping within the boundaries set for us by the defined teachings of the Church. If there were any just criticism of him, perhaps that would be it. However, in balance, in my humble opinion, his pastoral approach and his love for Christ, whom he saw more clearly than most in the lives of ordinary people – but especially in those who struggle, suffer and are powerless in our world – in my mind win the day and will make his legacy a lasting memory for years to come. 

Thank you all for being here with me today, for taking time out of your ordinary Saturday morning schedule to do what we Catholics I think do best: to pray. We are here to pray for the dead, which is one of the spiritual works of mercy. Today we are here to pray for a man, a pope uniquely chosen for our times, who lived and proclaimed mercy in his daily life as a priest, a bishop, and as a pope.

May the merciful arms of Christ himself welcome you to your eternal home and may you rest in peace there, good and faithful Pope Francis!