In a moving tribute steeped in deep spiritual reflection and Jesuit tradition, Rev. Fr. Sam Okwuidegbe, S.J., Director of the Loyola Centre for Hope and Healing, Lagos, on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, gave a stirring homily at the Lagos Archdiocese Requiem Mass for Pope Francis at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos. Fr. Sam’s words offered a profound meditation not only on the life and death of the Pope but also on the divine concept of mercy that marked every step of his Papacy. Fr. Sam drew from the Pope’s cherished motto—rooted in the Gospel story of the call of Matthew the tax collector—to frame the spiritual foundation of Pope Francis’ life.
‘Miserando atque eligendo’, he explained, captures the essence of Francis’ vocation: being seen, forgiven, and called by God. The Jesuit reflection invited the faithful to see the Pope’s journey as one long, loving response to that initial divine gaze of mercy. Referencing the first week of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Fr. Sam linked the Pope’s spirituality to a deep awareness of sin and an even deeper recognition of God’s boundless mercy. This reflection on self, sin, and salvation is what shaped Francis the man, the priest, and the pontiff. “Jesuits know themselves by looking at Him—Jesus,” Fr. Sam recalled, echoing the tradition that grounds Jesuits as “loved sinners,” chosen and called not in spite of their brokenness but precisely within it.
The homily painted Pope Francis as a man whose Jesuit identity never dimmed even in the grandeur of the papacy. From his time as a novice and provincial in Argentina to his role guiding Jesuits as a tertian instructor, Francis remained a companion of Jesus. For Fr. Sam, Pope Francis embodied the Jesuit ideal of leadership rooted in humility, discernment, and mercy—always pointing others toward God’s love. Choosing to live in the Santa Marta residence rather than the Apostolic Palace, Francis demonstrated a radical simplicity that defied convention. This act, Fr. Sam indicated, was not just symbolic but deeply spiritual—echoing the vision of La Storta, where St. Ignatius had a mystical encounter that confirmed his mission to labour with Christ. Pope Francis, like Ignatius, heard the call to “Come, labour with us,” and responded not with power, but with mercy.
It is no accident, Fr. Sam insisted, that Pope Francis’ legacy is inseparable from the theme of mercy. Whether embracing prisoners, washing the feet of migrants, or speaking out against indifference to global suffering, Francis offered the world a different model of power— one rooted in compassion. “Even a little mercy can make the world less cold and more just,” he often reminded us. The choice of the name “Francis” wasn’t just a nod to a beloved saint; it was a declaration of intent. Fr. Sam saw in this name the Pope’s radical option for the poor—a commitment reaffirmed in encyclicals like ‘Evangelii Gaudium’.
The Pope called on the Church to listen to the cry of the poor and rejected a faith that turns deaf ears to suffering. Reflecting on the Christian idea of freedom, Fr. Sam beautifully illustrated how Pope Francis’ La Storta experience freed him to live in joyful solidarity with the world’s brokenness. His death, on Easter Monday, underscored the Pope’s lifelong embrace of hope. “It is okay for him to die,” Fr. Sam stated. “If Christ could die, then it is okay for Pope Francis to die.” The homily closed in prayer—a touching farewell to a shepherd who loved simply, led humbly, and spoke truth with compassion.
Fr. Sam’s homily did more than honour a Pontiff; it invited the world to continue walking the path Pope Francis marked with mercy. Pope Francis is gone. But his gospel of mercy, his prophetic voice for the poor, and his enduring hope in humanity remain. As Fr. Sam underscored with stirring conviction: Mercy has called Pope Francis home.
