Columns

In 2018, Pope Francis visited the San Joaquín women's prison in Chile. Sr. Lourdes López Munguía recounts how his gaze and a heartfelt song by the inmates left an indelible mark on those who experienced that encounter.

"The church must carry on the dream of rebuilding. The Spirit is with us who remain to continue the work. We have inherited his tenderness, his open, genuine smile, his hands ready to bless and embrace, his mercy offered to all. Francis was for us, the image of the Father's love," writes Sr. María Baffundo.

Scripture for Life: Let us call to mind and heart the insights or events that have moved us to express our faith in action, how our work contributes to Christ's mission, and the meaning of our baptism and communion. 

I have come to realize that living a synodal religious life means living a nomadic life — ready to adapt at every turn, embracing both the ups and downs.

"Francis was a shepherd who 'smelled of the sheep,'" writes theologist Consuelo Vélez, reflecting on his pontificate's legacy and impact.

When I actively listen, I deeply connect with my own journey and, in the process, I see the presence of God amid my everyday, ordinary, simple life.

Pope Francis was a prophet for the earth. It was through his teachings in "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home," that I came to see farming as a sacred calling. Laudato Si' also inspired collaboration here in Kenya.

Perhaps because Pope Francis, with his pulmonary fragility, knew what it was like to struggle for breath, in the maturity of his life he helped the church to breathe.