As I sat among the more than 200,000 people who came to Rome to grieve the loss and celebrate the life of Pope Francis, one word kept running through my mind − mercy.
I thought of the pope’s motto – “Miserando atque eligendo.” It translates as, “He looked at him with mercy and chose him.” It is a reference to Jesus selecting Matthew to be his disciple, not despite the fact that the tax collector was a sinner, but because of it.
I thought of the Jubilee Year of Mercy that Pope Francis proclaimed. I thought of “The Name of God is Mercy” that he wrote.
Most of all, I thought of his mission, his ministry, his life’s work.
I first met Francis at his inauguration as pope in 2013. I was vice president. Like millions of Catholics all over the world, I felt a surge of hope and optimism.
In Francis, I saw the revitalization of the faith I had grown up with. A faith that calls us to care for “the last and the least” among us. A faith that gives us the obligation to feed the hungry, care for the sick, lift up the poor, welcome the stranger. A faith that sees the humanity in everyone and believes we are all God’s children. A faith of forgiveness and compassion. Of dignity and respect. Of love and mercy.
