5 Quotes from Pope Francis That Has Impacted Me

Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on April 21st. It is a sad day for the billions of cradles, converts, and reverts alike in the Catholic Church. His death comes as a shock to many despite his lifelong suffering from physical ailments. Pope Francis, in his 12 years, offered much wisdom that will resonate for years. Here is a look at the five that will come to mind.

“Abortion is not a theological problem. It is a human problem. It is a medical problem. You kill one person to save another, in the best case scenario. … It's against the Hippocratic oaths doctors must take. It is an evil in and of itself,”

Pope Francis has, time and time again, echoed church teachings on abortion. He compared it to a hitman and the fallacy argument that a baby must die to save the life of a mother. He called on Catholics to protect the most vulnerable.

"God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy."

When Pope Francis became the 266th successor of St. Peter, he stressed the importance of mercy. He oversaw the Year of Mercy from Advent 2015 to its conclusion one year later. The pope’s point is that our hearts must match that of our loving savior, who gives his mercy freely to a world that has turned a cold shoulder to him.

"Whenever we encounter another person in love, we learn something new about God."

“Mercy will always be greater than any sin, no one can put a limit on the love of the all-forgiving God.”

Mercy leads us to greatness. Like humility, it is an underrated virtue the church is blessed to have.

“Sometimes we are tempted to find excuses and complain, acting as if we could only be happy if a thousand conditions were met. To some extent this is because our ‘technological society has succeeded in multiplying occasions of pleasure, yet has found it very difficult to engender joy’”

I’ve been guilty many times of complaining when things don’t go my way, Yet, the pope wants us to find joy in all that we do.

"Love and charity, are service, helping others, serving others. There are many people who spend their lives in this way, in the service of others... When you forget yourself and think of others, this is love!"

The pope calls us to serve and love those around us. He has stressed the importance of the final judgment. We too must live everyday like we will be judged by God. I have lakced this much in my formation, yet when I became more engaged with my faith during my 20s, I felt that he was challenging me to live out my faith more. 

As we mourn the passing of Pope Francis, may God rest his soul, welcome him into his loving arms, and let’s pray for him and all impacted by his passing.