26-04-2025
We've Been Orphaned. The Loss Of Papa Francisco.
I have deliberately used his chosen Hispanic name - Papa Francisco. Why anglicize it? Now, as the President of Timor–Leste, José Ramos-Horta, pointed out to me, wouldn't it be remarkable if, after the first-ever Pope from the Global South, his successor, were chosen from Asia or Africa?
President Ramos-Horta has a point. Timor–Leste is the most Roman Catholic country in the world after Vatican City, with 99.6% of its population devotedly Catholic.
The President of Timor-Leste and the Pope spent a great deal of time together in September 2024, six months before the Pope's passing, when he accepted an invitation to visit the country. The visit was incredibly successful: the Pope was greeted by half of Timor-Leste's population, blessing hundreds of thousands, having just visited three countries before arriving.
He stepped off the flight bearing the weight of the papal robes, one and a half lungs, and a mesh in his stomach. It was an overwhelmingly warm trip — marked by welcome, embrace, and deep respect — so much so that, when it came time to board his flight a few days later, he turned to the President, whispered, and said, "Walk over with me to make sure I get on this flight."
Though Papa Francisco was not well, he carried himself through each meeting with grace and a smile. The President recalled to me a woman struggling with infertility who came seeking a blessing. Papa Francisco gave her his time. He listened. He offered her infinite blessings.
Just three weeks earlier, doctors had urged him to take it easy and cancel all appointments, but for Papa Francisco, this was never easy. He was an incredibly dedicated, values-based leader who did so much to change the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the world.
President Ramos-Horta had been monitoring Papa Francisco's medical updates for some time, and although we knew this day was approaching, the news of his passing still came as an enormous shock.
At the time, I was hosting President Ramos-Horta in the UK. As he received the news of the Pope's passing, he immediately pivoted to attend the funeral, which is happening in real time as I write.
When we were reflecting on the Pope's life over the last few days, he tells me Timor-Leste's people did not just admire the Pope; they revered him, seeing in him not only a spiritual leader, but a father. He was one of the only world leaders with a true moral compass - a reflection of the values we hold dear: compassion, peace, justice, and humility.
'Now, that father is gone,' President Ramos-Horta asked me with a heavy heart, 'have we become orphans?'
José Ramos-Horta tells me he was not yet President when he first met Papa Francisco. In 2021, he was invited to join the Pope's Human Fraternity Initiative - a bold call for peace and solidarity. From that moment, the President says, they became fast friends.
Their bond was warm, human, and genuine. During his visit to Timor-Leste, the Pope noticed how closely the President worked to help his people connect with him. After returning to Rome, he wrote to Ramos-Horta, expressing how deeply he had noticed - and appreciated - the President's closeness to his people.
Meanwhile, during his visit, the President confided in the Pope and told him he was sad about the state of the world, and often felt a sense of hopelessness and disillusionment. Papa Francisco nodded, agreed, and shared his sentiment with examples.
In Timor-Leste, he saw a kindred spirit that shares the Church's values. A country with no death penalty, no life imprisonment, no religious violence, a deep commitment to peace and a strong, free press (10th best in the world according to recent rankings, whilst the UK is 26th and USA is 40th). It is a nation shaped by suffering and resistance yet deeply rooted in peace and democracy.
I share President Ramos-Horta's sentiment that we have lost more than 'the greatest Pope in history,' as he describes him. We have lost a global leader of integrity and courage - a man who spoke truth to power when many others, including powerful world leaders, would not.
He condemned the immorality of the global arms trade, and where others remained silent on the suffering in Gaza, he visited both Palestinian victims and the families of Israeli hostages. From October 2023 onwards, he called the local parish in Gaza every single evening, asking, "Are you well? Have you eaten?" - a small but profound act of love and solidarity with the Global South.
Papa Francisco literally kissed the shoes of South Sudanese leaders, begging them to end the bloodshed. He washed the feet of women during Holy Week, just as Jesus had washed the feet of his disciples, and he did more to elevate the position of women in the Church than any Pope before him. Where women once wore black and covered their hair when visiting the Pope, Papa Francisco ended such customs. This was no ordinary leader. He was strong, courageous, and unwavering in his values.
He reformed the Church in ways few thought possible, including on LGBTQ+ issues. When asked about same-sex marriage, he replied simply, "Who am I to deny the children of God?" And so it was, the life of over 2 billion Catholic people from all backgrounds was transformed. He was the first Jesuit Pope, the first from the global South, and the first to lead from a place of humility and conviction.
'As a humble and obedient Catholic, I leave that decision to the College of Cardinals,' President Ramos-Horta tells me. 'But as the leader of an independent Catholic nation, I am proud that Timor-Leste can now participate in that sacred process. And I wonder if it could be time for a Pope from Asia or Africa? The global South, after all, represents the majority of the world's 2 billion Catholics. What a powerful message of unity and inclusion that would send.'
When Pope Benedict resigned and later passed away, the moment passed quietly. But with Papa Francisco, the world has been moved. It shows us the scale of what we have lost and the uncertainty of whether we will ever find his like again.
We are grieving not just a Pope, but a man who made goodness radical again. Who lived out the values teachings of Christ not as dogma, but as daily courage. Who made the world feel, perhaps for a moment, that it could be kinder.
We will miss him deeply – as a friend, as a leader and as a father and a mother.
