Pope Francis: in memoriam

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Pope Francis
in memoriam

The first Jesuit Pope – a man shaped by the Spiritual Exercises, marked by discernment, interior freedom, and the desire to find God in all things. This page is a living memorial to Pope Francis – a space to gather, remember, and reflect on a pontificate that changed the Church.

On 13 March 2013, the conclave elected a son of Ignatius of Loyola to the Chair of Saint Peter – a ministry defined not only by its historic firsts, but by the Ignatian charism that shaped it: discernment, interior freedom, and the desire to find God in all things.

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis invited the world to look toward the peripheries. He modelled a Church not as a fortress but as a field hospital – where the wounds of humanity are met with mercy. That vision is rooted in the Ignatian call to go where the need is greatest.

“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.” (Evangelii Gaudium, §49)

“Today, we have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.” (Laudato si’, §49)

“Love needs time and space; everything else is secondary.” (Amoris laetitia, §224)

Testimonies and Reflections

Here you will find personal testimonials and reflections from those who knew him – Jesuits, religious, and lay collaborators who walked with him, worked alongside him in the Curia, and shared in his mission.

We invite you to move beyond the headlines and encounter the brother, the pastor, the friend who asked us, with characteristic humility, to remember him in prayer. For him, memory was never mere recollection. It was the ground of everything.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ

Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ With gratitude, Pope Francis on the first anniversary of his death

Arturo Sosa, SJ

Arturo Sosa, SJ Thinking with the Church: Pope Francis and the Jesuit Vocation

Federico Lombardi, SJ

Federico Lombardi, SJ Encounters with Pope Francis

Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ

Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ Pope Francis – and my synodal journey with him

Antonio Spadaro, SJ

Antonio Spadaro, SJ My Travels with Pope Francis

Frédéric Fornos, SJ

Frédéric Fornos, SJ The Invisible Ministry of Pope Francis

James Martin, SJ

James Martin, SJ An unexpected grace

Br Matthew of Taizé

Br Matthew of Taizé Pope Francis – Unity and Synodality

“Memory has a fundamental role for the heart of a Jesuit: memory of grace, the memory mentioned in Deuteronomy, the memory of God’s works that are the basis of the covenant between God and the people.” (Interview with Antonio Spadaro, SJ, La Civiltà Cattolica, 2013)

Header image: © Vatican Media.

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