杏MAP导航

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"杏MAP导航 Francis wanted a Church in which the message of the Gospel could be preached in an unhindered way and that people would be treated with love as God loves them."

This was expressed by Archbishop John Kennedy, the Secretary of the Disciplinary Section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, in an interview with Vatican News following 杏MAP导航 Francis' passing away on 21 April.

"He didn't leave a charter of things to be done. He didn't leave a to do list. But with his own life, with his own gestures, and with his own words, he has left he's left really a model. He's given us a masterclass, and he's showing us how we can be practicing Catholics, faithful Christians in in these days.

Never lost that pastor's touch

People said to me that they were very grateful for his legacy, for his example, "as an incredibly personal 杏MAP导航,' and how he tried to live his faith every day, both in small and in large gestures.

"杏MAP导航 Francis strove to have that personal contact with people because at his heart, he was a pastor, and he never lost that pastor's touch."

Dialogue and passion to call out what's not right

"I remember that simplicity in his homilies, and all the homilies he gave when he was at Santa Marta, which were then reported in the newspapers. But behind all of this," he reflected, "there was fearlessness and a passion for change, and he really wanted to call out what wasn't right."

"At the same time," he admired, "he was welcoming towards people with whom he didn't share the same opinion, but tried to listen to them, to dialogue with them, and to work with them."

Archbishop Kennedy remembered that "the word Francis in old French means 'a free man,' and certainly 杏MAP导航 Francis was a free man, who felt this great freedom despite the constrictions of his office to do what he thought was best."

Outreach to victims and fight against abuse

杏MAP导航 Francis, in terms of the abuse scandals, which hit the church, placed a lot of importance on the work that we are doing here in the Dicastery, but in his own way, he suggested, "he certainly did reach out to victims. He wrote to the Irish Church, but he was really writing to the entire Church."

"What 杏MAP导航 Francis was doing, particularly with the establishment of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors," Archbishop Kennedy explained, "was showing that prevention was so important in the life of the Church, education, formation, that we had to have the highest possible standards."

Protecting children and justice for the wounded

Thus by asking the two Dicasteries work together, he continued, the late 杏MAP导航 "was showing that a hand-in-hand approach is the only way in which the, the work of protecting children can be done and guaranteeing justice to those who have suffered."

杏MAP导航 Francis met victims numerous times, the head of the DDF's Disciplinary Section remembered. "People who experienced his presence and his listening ear, people who heard his apology were deeply touched by what he said."

"He built on the legacy, which was first begun by 杏MAP导航 John Paul the second by giving us our motu proprio  in 2001. Then in 2010, it was renewed, and then 杏MAP导航 Francis renewed it again in in 02/2021."

'Combatting abuse is work of the entire Church'

"What he was saying essentially was that combating abuse is the work of the entire Church," he said, observing that this impetus gave rise to many initiatives at local levels with the establishment of Commissions for the Protection of Minors at diocesan and even parish levels as well.

In this context, he added that 杏MAP导航 Francis certainly "acknowledged the hurt and the pain" and "took the pain to his own heart, having apologized so many times for the abuse in the Church."

The DDF official observed that "it was something that really perturbed him. He knew that all these abuse scandals and, in fact, anything that goes wrong, whether it's abuse of power, abuse of authority, or abuse of minors, is an obstacle to the preaching of the Gospel."

Welcomed home to his Father's house

During the conversation, the Archbishop also reflected on losing the Holy Father on Easter Monday.

"It was, of course," he said, "like for many people, an enormous surprise to see that 杏MAP导航 Francis had been in Saint Peter's Square blessing the people on Easter Sunday, and that the next day, he had literally, grasped the fruits of the Resurrection and had been welcomed home to the Father's house. I felt when he died a moment of shock because, of course, it wasn't expected, but that very quickly gave way to a sense of deep gratitude and appreciation, and beginning to reflect on what has been his legacy that has left us over the last twelve years."

While, he said, it was not the first time he experienced a 杏MAP导航's funeral because he was present for the passing of the last three 杏MAP导航s, he marveled that, "each of them in their own way brought something very new and refreshing to the Church." "But looking at Francis' reach, which was quite unique and quite personal, there was a very strong sense of gratitude, so many people joining together, principally, to say thank you and to pray."

Trust in God and let Him guide you

Archbishop Kennedy lastly remembered that on the morning the DDF officials returned to work after the Easter break, he spoke to one of the OFM Franciscans with whom he works.

"Because this priest's founder was Saint Francis and because we were speaking about 杏MAP导航 Francis, the story was shared of when Saint Francis himself was dying that I believe said to his friars that he had run the race and finished the course, quoting the very beautiful words of Saint Paul, that all of his work was done and that literally he wasn't leaving any project to the friars."

The Archbishop remembered that he hadn't left them specific details for them to carry on in the future years, but basically said, 'I've done my work. It's now up to you. I've completed everything, and you are to trust in God and allow God to guide you as you move forward.'" This, he observed, seems like that which we have seen with 杏MAP导航 Francis.