Here are the memories of Rev. Tim Macquiban when he was minister in Rome
Papa Francesco: A personal reflection on his papacy from my time in Rome
I’ m writing this on the day of the late Pope’ s funeral after watching the service in St Peter’ s Square and the journey from there to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore through the streets of the city of which he was bishop to his final simple resting place in the space where he prayerfully started and ended so many of his earthly journeys as Pope. The homily of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re summarised so much of what many had expressed in the days since Pope Francis’ s death of his leadership of a Church aspiring to be‘ a house for all with its doors always open’ and a‘ field hospital for the wounded’. While the official teachings of that Church haven’ t always moved sufficiently to make that a reality, Francis’ s life in its humility and simplicity have tried to mirror the life of the saint( of Assisi) whose name he took on with its more open outlook, on those of other faiths, the poor and the marginalised, and its appreciation of the environment in which he lived, what he called‘ our common home’, the earth and all human and animalkind contained within it. I want just to highlight some aspects of this in the brief encounters I had with him in the five years I was privileged to serve at Pont Sant’ Angelo as Director of the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome.
Evangelisation was at the heart of a ministry devoted to proclamation of the gospel by action as well as word. Early on in his papacy, Rome hosted a Jubilee Year of Mercy where the image of the Forgiving Father was a motif for leadership which constantly sought to temper doctrinal rigidity with a pastoral sensitivity which turned its back on the more traditional judgemental attitudes regarding race and class, gender and sexuality, breaking down barriers. We remember the pictures of Francis’ s visits to Lampedusa and Lesbos showing solidarity with refugees and migrants, in contrast to many Italian politicians. We saw him visiting the Regina Coeli prison to wash the inmates’ feet even this last Maundy Thursday and to welcome those of different sexual orientations to the Vatican.‘ Who am I the judge?’ was perhaps one of his lasting quotes.
And this was reflected also in the reforms he pushed in the Church itself, latterly focused on Synodality but even ten years ago, when at the Synod of Bishops on the Family he introduced the voices of more lay persons, as well as women and younger persons. They were given key roles in the Church to try to share decision-making more widely. I remember this was exemplified by Pope Francis’ s appearance at coffee time to chat more widely, when before his predecessor had cocooned themselves in some back room. Just as he chose to live at Santa Marta and not the Apostolic Palace. Just as he forsook red shoes and fine vestments( buried in his ordinary orthopedic shoes) and rode around in more modest transport.
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