Hi John,

Gamaliel joins millions around the globe as we mourn the loss of Pope Francis—Papa Francisco, as he was known by many.

Much has been written since his death yesterday morning: about his embrace of people on the margins; about his elevation of climate change to a moral issue; about his humility. In an opinion piece in the New York Times in December 2024, he challenged us to “avoid wallowing in melancholy at all costs, not to let it embitter the heart” . . . and to recognize there is faith in humor.

Many of our leaders remember Pope Francis as the first pope to embrace faith-based community organizing. In launching the Synod on Synodality in 2021, described as a “journey together,” the Vatican initiated a global listening campaign in which priests, bishops, lay people, and women around the world participated in conversations about some of the biggest issues facing the church.

We remember, too, his warnings about the return of authoritarianism and a retreat from democracy. In a 2021 visit to Athens, Greece—the birthplace of democracy—he urged a return to foundational democratic principles like “the art of the common good” and a move from partisanship to fully inclusive participation.

Pope Francis gave voice to the voiceless. May we continue his legacy and do the same!

In solidarity,