Humanity, humility, and humor endeared Pope Francis to the world
"We need to avoid the spiritual sickness of a Church that is wrapped up in its own world," Pope Francis said shortly after his election in 2013. "If I had to choose between a wounded Church that goes out on to the streets and a sick, withdrawn Church, I would choose the first.”
And that’s how he lived his life as the Vicar of Jesus Christ. He was the Pope of the people. He was a pastor first. Mentoring, caring, teaching, guiding. He was very relatable and authentic. He brought the Church to the people, which in turn inspired people back to the Church.
It is not surprising then for the Easter Monday death of the benevolent pope to draw this much global attention. He was truly loved. He is earthly father to nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics in the world.
Rolling Stone placed him on the cover of their magazine as a “rock star.” Esquire Magazine named him their “Best Dressed Man” of 2013. He was the first Jesuit to ever become pope, the first Latin-American pope, and the first non-European-born pope since the Syrian, Pope Gregory III.
Here are some little known facts/stories about Pope Francis:
It has been repeated in reports that after his election, he picked up his suitcase in his hotel, paid his bill, and rode a bus instead of the papal limousine.
He embraced the digital world as “a gift from God.” So, he is the first pope to have an Instagram account @franciscus with 10.3 million followers. It reached one million followers in just 12 hours after it was launched.
His signature dish is a paella and he is known for his dulce de leche dessert. Author Elisabetta Piqué observed that Francis is the “Master Chef Pope.” His mornings started at 4:15 a.m. He prepared himself a special “mate” for breakfast. This is a South American caffeine-rich beverage. He would buy inexpensive cappuccino from a machine at St. Martha’s House (the guesthouse where he stayed for his whole term as pope instead of the Apostolic Palace). His favorite dessert, dulce de leche, a sweet milk pudding, was already added to the hotel menu.
He had a soft spot for the poor and the homeless. He gave them VIP seats in a charity concert. He personally invited them to celebrate his 77th birthday. He opened the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel to them for a private tour. And while visiting Washington, DC, he prioritized dining with homeless people instead of those in Congress.
He wrote letters and mailed them to a Jesuit prison ministry. He particularly wrote to those serving life sentences without parole for crimes they committed as minors.
He shared with French President Emmanuel Marcon the Gaudete et Exultate where he referenced St. Thomas More’s prayer for a sense of humor. “Lord, give me a sense of humor. Grant me the grace to understand a joke, to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others,” which the Pope said he recited daily.
In June 2024, he hosted and entertained a group of 100 standup comedians and humorists. This was the largest, if not the only, occasion for such group to be hosted in the Vatican.
He also never turned away children, even when they interrupted his speeches on stage. He said that young people should symbolize hope and yet many struggle with despair and lack of optimism due to war, poverty, crime, and domestic violence.
While I was not able to see the Pope when he visited in 2015, I was fortunate enough to see him in the Vatican twice (one in a special Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica). Thanks to him and his predecessor, St. John Paul II, I have witnessed five Jubilee years instead of just three in my lifetime.
In 1975, Pope Paul VI led the Jubilee Year with the theme “Renewal and Reconciliation.” In 1983, then pope St. John Paul II convened a special Jubilee Year, the Holy Year of Redemption, to mark the 1950th anniversary of the Redemption carried out by Jesus Christ. In 2000, he led the Great Jubilee to end the second millennium and usher in the third.
Under Pope Francis, we had the "Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy," held in 2016 and the current 2025 Jubilee Year with the theme "Pilgrims of Hope.” “It is a time to be renewed in hope and to find reasons for hope in God's word,” Pope Francis stated. The Jubilee Year offers a chance for spiritual renewal, pilgrimage, and reconciliation. The Jubilee Year was preceded by the "Year of Prayer" in 2024, a fitting preparatory period.
It will be a great way to honor Pope Francis by participating actively in this call for pilgrimage. If you can visit Rome, then visit the Holy Doors of the four major basilicas (St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and Santa Maria Maggiore). Pope Francis will be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore by his choice as a Marian devotee. Seven other popes were buried there.
Don’t fret if you can’t join any of the pilgrimages to Rome since there are 500 Holy Doors in the Philippines.
Look into the spiritual renewal programs and projects of your parish. Do acts of kindness and participate in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.
