From the Holy Land to the Vatican: Remembering Pope Francis

AMMAN — Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, made history in 2013 by becoming the first pope from Latin America and the first non-European pope in over a millennium. 

He served as the 266th successor to Saint Peter and led the Roman Catholic Church for over a decade until his passing in April. Known for his humility and strong focus on social justice, he emphasised the Church’s role in serving the poor and advocating for peace, especially in regions affected by war. 

Father Rifat Bader, Roman Catholic priest in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and director of the Catholic Centre for Studies and Media in Jordan,recently returned from Rome after attending the Pope’s funeral.

“A lot of people from all over the world came to visit his tomb, a simple tomb like he wanted it. There is only his name ‘Franciscus’ and the cross that he put on his robe,” Father Rifat told The Jordan Times. 

Rifat described the atmosphere in Rome as one of deep mourning. “Now is the ‘Novem Dias’, the Nine Days of mourning the pope. Pope Francis left a big legacy in the Church, as the figure of the Good Pastor, and took care of the church for 12 years.”

According to Father Rifat, Pope Francis was not only a religious or dogmatic figure, but he was close to the people who suffered from the wars, always insisting for a ceasefire in Ukraine, Gaza and Palestine in general,  Sudan, Yemen, etc.“He mentioned all these places in his last speeches on Easter, hours before his passing away. This was his testament for the world : take care of these people,” Father said. 

Father Rifat noted that the Pope maintained personal communication with religious leaders in war zones, including daily calls to the parish priest of the Holy Family in Gaza. “For the people of Gaza, he was calling every day to show his solidarity. This did not please the other side, because he showed always his closeness to the people who are suffering, the women and children who were oppressed, lacking human rights.”

Relations between Jordan and the Vatican were warm during Pope Francis’ papacy.In May 2014, during his first year as a pontiff, Pope Francis visited Jordan and initiated a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. “It was a grace for us,” recalled Father Rifat, “He described our King Abdallah as a man of peace.” The visit further strengthened diplomatic and interfaith ties between the Hashemite Kingdom and the Holy See. 

Now, the Church is turning its attention to the conclave, the centuries-old process by which a new pope is chosen. The secretive election will begin on Wednesday in the Sistine Chapel. “There will be an oath for all the cardinals that will be entering the Sistine Chapel,” Rifat explained. “All the procedures are secret, these oaths make the election pure and authentic. We do not want any influence from any leader in the world. To choose the successor of a popeis not a political issue but a spiritual issue.”

In a historic first, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, PierbattistaPizzaballa, will participate in the conclave. “This is a pride for our churchof Jerusalem, despite all the difficulties and challenges. To be in the conclave means the church of Jerusalem is not forgotten. All of our Patriarch’s work has always been in Jerusalem so we are very proud that a man brought up in Jerusalem is representing our local church,” Father concluded.