Catholic Health World Articles

The Catholic health ministry joined mourners worldwide in grieving the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

The 88-year-old pontiff appeared the day before — Easter Sunday — on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica before about 50,000 people assembled there for an Easter blessing and then had taken one last ride among the faithful in the popemobile before resting and having a quiet dinner that afternoon and early evening, according to Vatican News. He became suddenly ill around 5:30 a.m., suffering a stroke. He then fell into a coma about an hour later at his apartment at the Casa Santa Marta, near the basilica. He died a “discreet death, almost sudden, without long suffering or public alarm,” the news service said.

The service reported, “The passing of Pope Francis came the day after Easter, when he was able to offer the city and the world his final Apostolic Blessing and embrace the faithful once more.”

Vatican News says the pontiff will lie in state until his April 26 funeral.

‘Forever grateful’
CHA and numerous Catholic health systems and facilities are celebrating the life and legacy of the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, who had begun his papacy in March 2013, succeeding Pope Benedict XVI.

CHA President and CEO Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, said: “Pope Francis witnessed Christ’s love and mercy to all people, particularly those at the margins of society.” She recalled how he memorably described the church as a field hospital, and that he called upon people to “heal the wounds of our world through love and charity.”

Sr. Mary honored the pope’s “unwavering advocacy for ethical care for all,” and noted his strong voice for the vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic and for all marginalized people around the world who were harmed by disease and natural disasters.

“Pope Francis always led with compassion, inclusivity, and humility,” she said.

She noted that the pontiff’s simplicity and sense of humor added to his approachability and made him accessible to all people. He truly was the “People’s Pope,” she said.

“Pope Francis leaves a legacy for all of us to emulate and for which we are forever grateful,” she said.

The “first Pope of the Americas,” the pontiff was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His given name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He graduated as a chemical technician before deciding to enter seminary to become a priest. After concurrently receiving a degree in philosophy, he taught college and also earned a theology degree. He was ordained a priest in 1969 and made his final profession as a Jesuit in 1973. In the ensuing years, he continued teaching, headed a Jesuit province in Argentina, served as a parish priest and earned a doctorate. In 1992 he became titular bishop of Auca and auxiliary of Buenos Aires and continued to rise in the church’s ranks, becoming a cardinal in 2001.

CHA has created a tribute page honoring some of the fruits of Pope Francis’ papacy that had the most meaning for the Catholic health ministry. Among the resources are some related to the pope’s focus on the culture of encounter, a culture that he said “is everybody’s responsibility.”

The page also includes links to the pope’s 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si, which delved into how all of creation is bound together and people are responsible to care for one another and creation. That seminal document has inspired extensive work throughout the Catholic health ministry and beyond to advance environmental stewardship.

CHA’s tribute page also contains resources related to the pope’s call for people to advance human flourishing and to promote the common good. Resources linked to that section of CHA’s tribute page include an October 2020 papal letter on fraternity and social friendship. In that letter, the pontiff called for unity amid the division that was rampant in society around that time.

CommonSpirit Health praised the “significant impact” Pope Francis made during his papacy. The system’s statement added that the pope’s beliefs are reflected in the mission and values of CommonSpirit. “We strive to embody his call to accompaniment; to be with people on their journey through life,” it said. “We are profoundly grateful for Pope Francis’ focus on serving poor and marginalized communities, which has deeply inspired our own work.”

In a social media post, Ascension said that “as a Catholic health ministry, we remain committed to the healing ministry of Jesus and to carrying forward the values Pope Francis championed — kindness, justice and care for the most vulnerable among us and all of God’s creation.”

Ascension CEO Joseph Impicciche wrote in his own post: “We remain deeply committed to carrying forward the values he championed. May his memory be a blessing, and his example a lasting source of guidance and inspiration for us all.”

Providence St. Joseph Health President and CEO Erik Wexler also commented on social media, noting that the pope “will be remembered for numerous contributions, especially his outreach to those who are poor and vulnerable, advocacy for responding to climate change, and a deep commitment to health care.”

In a message to Providence colleagues shortly after the pontiff’s passing, Dougal Hewitt, Providence executive vice president and chief mission and sponsorship officer, wrote that Pope Francis exemplified the values that he — the pope — promoted, “especially our Providence values of compassion and justice. These values were evident in his focus on addressing climate change and his call to care for migrants and those living on the margins.”

Trinity Health President and CEO Mike Slubowski sent a message out to ministry associates shortly after the pontiff’s death. In the missive, Slubowski wrote that the pontiff “stood with immigrants and the most vulnerable, urging all of us to offer grace, not judgment. He showed the world that compassion is for everyone regardless of background, belief or circumstances.”

Slubowski wrote that Pope Francis’ “life and legacy are an inspiration to our mission of caring for others with love, dignity and justice.”