Pope Francis' acts of kindness - from coffee runs and minibus rides to historic gesture

Daily Mirror

21-04-2025

Humility and humanity were the hallmarks of Pope Francis's 12-year reign, and his common touch quickly saw him dubbed the Pope Idol. Here, we take a look back at the religious figure's acts of kindness
As a young man Pope Francis vocation was driven by a desire to help the poor and, as a Jesuit priest, Father Jorge Bergoglio led a humble life with his flock in the slums of Buenos Aires.
But, when he ascended to the throne of St Peter in 2013, he stunned the Vatican old guard by opening up grand church buildings to the homeless and calling for 'a revolution of tenderness.'
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Choosing the name Francis – after Saint Francis of Assisi – was a clear sign of his commitment to the poor. But it was the sheer force of his warm, genial personality that made him Top of the Popes.
Within days of his election, Francis set a new tone, calling for 'a culture of encounter' within the Church. He also showed the grand prelates how he expected them to behave.
On his first Easter Thursday as Pope, Francis washed and kissed the feet of 12 young offenders in a juvenile detention centre.
They included two women and a Muslim, although Catholic priests recreating Christ's Last Supper gesture to his disciples traditionally only washed the feet of men.
It was the first of many public and private acts of humility and tenderness that changed the conversation between 1.2 billion Catholics and their Holy Father.
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As John Sullivan, Professor of Christian education at Liverpool Hope University, said at the time: 'Pope Francis has changed the climate of communication.
'He has made many gestures and said many wonderful things that indicate his desire for a different style of church, not changing its substance but changing its voice and its quality of listening.'
The Pope certainly loved to listen to ordinary people, and became known for making cold calls to stunned recipients.
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He phoned an Italian engineer who'd written to him worrying about finding work, an Argentinian woman who'd been raped and the brother of a murder victim.
In September 2014, he rang a 35-year-old pregnant divorcee who felt pressured to have an abortion. 'Hello Anna, this is Pope Francis,' he said simply, before comforting her and offering to baptise her baby.
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That New Year 's Eve he phoned to surprise an order of Carmelite sisters in Lucena, Spain......but got their answer phone. 'What can the nuns be doing that stops them answering the phone?' he chuckled. ''This is Pope Francis and I wanted to give you New Year's greetings. I'll see if I can reach you later. God bless you.'
On the day after his election, Francis turned down the use of the Papal Mercedes to travel to the Vatican in a minibus with the other cardinals who'd been participating in the conclave.
On his first overseas visits, he waited in line with other passengers to board the plane and insisted on carrying his own luggage.
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Tellingly, that visit was to the Island of Lampedusa, where he sought to bring attention to the plight of migrants and refugees who made the Mediterranean Sea a 'vast cemetery.'
He had never intended to travel much as Pope, but his conscience called on him to go among marginalised and suffering people around the world – be that celebrating mass on the US-Mexico border in 2016 or visiting slum dwellers in a favela in Rio, Brazil.
He spoke out against the evils of capitalist greed and climate change.
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And, having once flown Muslim Syrian refugees to safety on his papal plane he told reporters on another flight that those who build walls to keep out immigrants are 'not Christian' a clear dig at President Donald Trump 's border policy.
When welcoming VIPs like President Obama and the Queen to Rome he gave them tea in his rooms at the Domus Sanctae Marthae guest house, rather than the Vatican Palace.
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And he jotted down his daily engagements himself in pencil in an old fashioned diary - another first which shocked aides.
The Pope wrote to a friend in Argentina soon after taking office. 'I'm visible to people and I lead a normal life,' he explained. 'I eat in the refectory with everyone else.
'All this is good for me and prevents me from being isolated. I'm trying to stay the same and to act as I did in Buenos Aires because if you change at my age you just look ridiculous.'
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But the things he couldn't change, he embraced - like the large public masses that gave him a chance to drive round St Peter's Square in his Popemobile - with bulletproof glass removed - so he could reach out to the faithful.
He gave a teenage boy with Down syndrome the ride of his life by inviting him up into the vehicle and spinning him around on the seat.
On another occasion, he spotted an old pal from Argentina in the crowd and signalled him to jump aboard too.
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He wept with joy when a Brazilian schoolboy broke through barriers and jumped up on the Popemobile to tell him he wanted to be a priest and could barely contain his excitement at being handed a San Lorenza football shirt.....his favourite Buenos Aires team.
In November 2014, he was pictured hugging Vinicio Riva, 52, an Italian man horribly disfigured by huge tumours. Afterwards, Vinicio revealed: 'The thing that struck me most is he did not even think about whether or not to hug me.
'I'm not contagious, but he did not know. He just did it: he caressed me all over my face, and as he did, I felt only love.'
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Two weeks later, the Pope stopped to talk with Oreste Tornani, 60, who was shot in the face at the age of 30.
'He asked me how I was, how things were going, if I had any problems and where I was living,' said unemployed Mr Tornani.
Pictures of the Pope's everyday acts of kindness soon made him a Twitter hit—with 18.2 million followers.
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In 2015, we released a hit record called Wake Up! It features speeches set to a prog rock backing track.
In 2018, he opened up like no other Pontiff had ever done in a documentary film called Pope Francis: A Man of his Word.
The Pope never ceased to surprise the watching world – whether it was larking about in a fireman's helmet so the fire crew could get souvenir photos, or opening a homeless shelter in a church with camp beds set up under priceless Renaissance frescoes.
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He also shocked his brother Cardinals by telling mums waiting for their babies to be baptised in the Sistine Chapel that it was fine to breastfeed.
Francis remained firmly opposed to gay marriage, and defended the Church's position that homosexual acts are sinful but homosexual orientation is not.
But when asked about gay priests within the Vatican, he replied: 'Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord? You can't marginalise these people.'
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It was the first time a Pope had even used the word 'gay' in public.
His communication skills were matched by meaningful reform, too – cleaning up the scandal-hit Vatican bank and changing rules which had protected paedophile priests.
He ruffled the feathers of his persoanl Swiss Guard too - forcing bosses to take better care of the men who wear those famous multi-coloured Renaissance uniforms.
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One morning, as Francis left his modest apartment, he said a cheery 'Good morning' to the soldier posted outside his door.
But then the Pontiff stopped in his tracks and peered in alarm at the young man's pale face.
He realised it was the same guard who had saluted him when he went to bed the evening before and that he had been standing outside his door all night.
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'Sit down at once!' said the Pope, ushering him towards a chair. 'I can't, it's against orders,' replied the guardsman.
'I give the orders around here,' replied Francis, before fetching a cappuccino to revive the exhausted guardsman.
And he proved it by sacking the Colonel in charge of his all-night sentry for being over-strict and 'unbrotherly".
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As experts now argue over his theological legacy, Francis will be remembered as an ordinary, plain-speaking Pope who never lost his human touch or desire to help the poor.
On his visit to Dublin in 2018, he addressed a gathering of newly married and engaged couples, regaling them with stories from his humble childhood.
He told them how a poor man once knocked on the family's door when his mum was cooking delicious steaks for tea.
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Francis suggested giving the man their scraps, but his Mum said, 'No, if you give to the poor, you truly give of yourself,' and made him hand over their whole dinner.
He gave the newlyweds some marriage guidance too, saying 'it is important to keep your patience – even with your mother-in-laws.'
He added, 'When you quarrel, be sure to apologise and say sorry before going to bed. If arguments tempt you to sleep in another room, alone and apart, just knock on the door and say 'Please - can I come in?'
'All it takes is a look, a kiss, a soft word....'