Honoring Pope Francis

Since the news of Pope Francis’s passing, I've been reflecting on his life and ministry. His gentleness, compassion, and unwavering courage to stand for the vulnerable resonated profoundly with me.

His Understanding of God’s Love

As I have been thinking about him, this Scripture kept coming to mind: “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)  I knew many of his views on justice, but not much on his theology of God’s love. So I began researching and was not surprised to discover his rich beliefs:

Honoring his Commitment to Love 

The entire Church joins with our Catholic sisters and brothers to mourn the loss of Pope Francis, a man who intimately knew Jesus and inspires our personal discipleship. I wanted to honor him with the ProGrace community because our vision for how Christians engage in the abortion conversation is rooted in these truths about God’s love. Our ability to show love, grace, and compassion is directly tied to experiencing God's love for ourselves.

This may sound basic, and it’s easy to move on, looking for more profound answers. But I believe a key reason Christians have been stuck in our response to abortion is that we haven’t consistently grounded our response in God’s love. 

Instead, we have been influenced more by the anger and fear that drive political arguments, culture wars, and the news cycle. Much of the corporate Christian response to abortion has been driven by fear: fear of “the other side,” of who holds political power, and of personal agency. 

Even on a personal level, I’ve realized that much of what I consider normal stressors of doing this work day after day is actually fear disguised. I worry about how to get past the church’s perceived apathy, how to facilitate the growth of our community, and how my words will be interpreted in this polarized environment. This fear sometimes leads to silence and exhaustion. I often hear others share that they are also exhausted by the realities of the abortion conversation and anxious about what is coming next, so I know I’m not alone.

Yet, when I think of Pope Francis's life, I don’t see examples of him responding in fear. He was vocal and fearless in the face of injustice, just as Jesus was. 

Love has the Power to drive out fear

So what is the secret? Here is the context for that phrase, “We love because he first loved us”:

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them…There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:16,18-19 emphasis mine)

My anxiety stems from worrying about others' opinions and actions. When I root myself in God's love instead, it becomes about His perspective. His perspective is always grace, and grace eliminates punishment; there is only love, leaving no room for fear.

I want to follow Pope Francis’ example by letting God's love guide my pursuit of justice. When we are filled with God’s love, it naturally overflows into love and compassion for all. God makes no distinctions about who is worthy of love, concern, or justice. Pope Francis knew this and consistently advocated for the oppressed:

The Love of God always points to Jesus

“Lives steeped in compassion” are lives filled with God’s love. Which means there is no room for fear in the Christian response to abortion. It’s why our traditional approach hasn’t worked. Instead, we need to be rooted in the love that is so central to our faith, as Pope Francis defines it:

 So, as we remember Pope Francis, let’s remember his commitment to the love of God, which was made manifest in Jesus.

Grateful to be on this journey with you, 

Angie