NEWFANE-There are countless commentaries on Pope Francis's life and work, most of them celebrating the opus of a remarkable man.
What made him so loved by the world, even beyond the Catholic church, was his humanity. He seemed to internalize the Christian understanding of the complexities of the human condition. He embodied unconditional love. He sought understanding among competing groups, religions, political forces, and he countered the entrenched national conceit that corrupts civilization.
Pope Francis was a breath of fresh air for the church. Perhaps because he was not entrenched in the close political intrigues of Rome, and instead came from what could be seen as the far reaches, beyond the conspiracies of power politics.
He had a deeper connection with ordinary people, especially poor people. He had profound empathy for their struggles and hopes, and he realized that the church could be a center of redemption and healing where hardly any had existed before in quite the same way.
The most awe-inspiring quality that gave him the authority to influence the masses was his simple goodness. He was not naïve, nor blind to the difficulties of modern times, but he had the ability to be both part of the world and above it, able to epitomize the most unique expression of love there is.
What can be said about such a man, such a life? Words fail to express the reality of his contribution to the world. He has now entered the grand sweep of history. His impact on millions still felt and appreciated.
His legacy now a matter of fact. Time moves on. And he will be missed.
Robert Fritz
Newfane
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