With the Poor, for the Planet: Remembering Pope Francis

JPIC COMMISSION USG-UISG

To all Members of the JPIC Commission USG-UISG

Dear Friends,
It is with profound sorrow and a heavy heart that we, members of the JPIC Commission, mourn the sudden passing of our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis. His departure from this world leaves a deep void not only in the heart of the Church but in the soul of humanity. We extend our deepest condolences to each of you and to all people of goodwill who have been touched by his prophetic voice, his tireless witness to the Gospel, and his unwavering commitment to Justice, Peace, and the Care for our Common Home.

Pope Francis was not only a shepherd of souls but a global conscience who awakened the world to the cries of the poor, the excluded, and the earth itself. In his landmark encyclicals and countless addresses, he courageously called us to a renewed sense of responsibility, fraternity, and hope in a fragmented world.

From Evangelii Gaudium, he challenged the Church to become a Church of the poor and for the poor:

“Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor…” (EG 187)

Through Laudato Si’, he became a moral compass for the ecological movement and a fatherly guide for all humanity:

“The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all.” (LS 23)

“We are not faced with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather one complex crisis which is both social and environmental.” (LS 139)

In Fratelli Tutti, he reminded us that we are indeed one human family:

“Unless we recover the shared passion to create a community of belonging and solidarity… we will continue to be at the mercy of any power that exploits the human condition.” (FT 36)

“Everything, then, depends on our ability to see the need for a change of heart, attitudes and lifestyles.” (FT 166)

And in his more recent exhortation, Laudate Deum, he emphasized the urgency of bold and collective climate action:

“It is no longer possible to doubt the human – ‘anthropic’ – origin of climate change. Climate change is one of the principal challenges facing society and the global community.” (LD 11)

His consistent witness gave voice to the voiceless — migrants, indigenous peoples, the victims of war and trafficking, and our wounded planet. He gave moral language to political, economic, and cultural debates and pointed us always toward the Gospel imperative of mercy and justice.

As JPIC promoters, we have lost a visionary leader, a spiritual father, and a fellow pilgrim deeply committed to transforming structures of injustice and sowing seeds of hope. Yet even in our mourning, we give thanks—because Pope Francis’ legacy endures in our ministries, in our advocacy, in our prayers, and in the dreams of the countless young people he inspired.

May we honor him not only in words but in action, by courageously continuing his mission. Let us walk together—as artisans of peace, guardians of creation, and builders of a just and fraternal world.

We entrust Pope Francis to the tender mercy of God, whom he served so humbly and joyfully. May he now rest in the eternal embrace of the One he called Abba, and may his intercession guide us still.

With deep sympathy and unwavering hope,

Fr. Roy Thomas SVD & Sr. Maamalifar Poreku MSOLA
Executive Co-Secretaries
JPIC Commission – USG-UISG,
Rome