By Dr. Francis Xavier
The world mourns the passing of Pope Francis, a humble man from Argentina whose compassion transcended boundaries of faith. After months of illness, he returned from the hospital to deliver a final Easter blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, thanking all, even the nurse who cared for him. Then, as if on cue, he departed quietly the very next day – leaving behind a legacy of courage, humility, and humanity.
Pope Francis reminded the world that a Pope is not merely a shepherd for Catholics, but a voice for all humanity. He had no armies, no arsenal, yet leaders and ordinary people alike listened. His message was powerful in its simplicity: stand with the poor, defend the vulnerable, live humbly.
It was only fitting that the “who’s who” of the world gathered to honor him at his funeral mass. From India, President Droupadi Murmu herself attended the Funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City on April 26, 2025. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, George Kurian, and Deputy Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Joshua De Souza, were also part of the official Indian delegation.
As I watched the preparations for his funeral, I found myself transported back two decades to another moment of shared mourning – the death of Pope John Paul II in April 2005. At the time, I was serving as Officer on Special Duty to the Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Prof. Ram Kapse, a scholar-politician of great simplicity and heart.
When Pope John Paul II died, I drafted a condolence message for the LG to send to Bishop Alex at Port Blair’s Stella Maris Cathedral. But Prof. Kapse had other ideas. “This is not necessary,” he said. “I will attend the service in person.” It was a rare gesture, there was no protocol for such a visit. Yet he insisted, asking only that his presence not disrupt the service.
At the Cathedral, as we sat quietly, Prof. Kapse leaned over and whispered, “I would like to speak.” There was no script. No plan. With the Bishop’s hesitant blessing, Prof. Kapse took the pulpit.
“I met the Holy Father in Rome,” he began, a story he had never shared even with me. He spoke of a brief but profound encounter: a handshake, a blessing from the Pope. No notes, no grandstanding – just a heartfelt memory and a tribute that left the congregation moved to tears.
It was a moment that showed how the papacy transcends race, religion, and politics, touching lives in the most unexpected corners of the world.
