Restless and Joyous: Remembering Pope Francis

 

Reflections on the Statement from Archbishop Jeremy Greaves

The world has lost a spiritual giant. The death of Pope Francis has sent ripples of grief and gratitude across the globe, touching the hearts of millions—Catholic and non-Catholic alike. In the words of Archbishop Jeremy Greaves, “Restless and joyous – seems to capture so much of what the world saw of Francis in his public ministry. Restless for a world that better reflected the kingdom proclaimed in the Gospel, and joyous in his encounters with people everywhere.”

Pope Francis was a leader who embodied the Gospel’s call to justice, compassion, and hope. His restlessness was not the anxiety of despair, but the holy discontent of someone who longed for a world more aligned with God’s vision—a world where the marginalized are welcomed, the suffering are comforted, and the powerful are called to account. His joy was not superficial, but a deep, abiding delight in the presence of Christ found in every person he met: prisoners and refugees, the sick and suffering, the young and the old, world leaders and small children.

In his autobiography, Hope, Francis wrote,

“For we Christians, the future has a name and this name is hope. To have hope doesn’t mean being naïve optimists who ignore the tragedy of human evil. Hope is the virtue of a heart that doesn’t close itself in the dark, doesn’t stop at the past, doesn’t scrape along in the present, but can clearly see tomorrow. Restless and joyous, this is how we Christians must be.”

This vision of hope is at the heart of progressive Christianity. It is not a denial of the world’s pain, but a commitment to transformation. It is a hope that acts, that protests, that embraces, that dreams. Pope Francis lived this hope, and in doing so, inspired countless others to do the same.

He also reminded us,

“Happiness is always an encounter with others, and those others are always a concrete opportunity to encounter Christ himself.”

This radical openness to the other—regardless of creed, status, or circumstance—was a hallmark of his papacy. It is a challenge to all of us who seek to follow Jesus in our own time and place.

As Archbishop Greaves so beautifully put it,

“Francis’ death will be mourned by many millions around the world, even as his life is remembered with thanksgiving… Having celebrated the Easter mysteries, Francis now rests in the arms of the Lord he loved and served all his life.”

In this season of mourning, we join with Archbishop Mark, the clergy and people of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, and all those around the world who grieve. We give thanks for the life and witness of Pope Francis, and we pray:

“Rest eternal grant unto him, O Lord, and may light perpetual shine upon him.”

May we, too, be restless and joyous—restless for justice, joyous in love, and always hopeful for the world to come.