Memories of Pope Francis

The late Pope Francis engaged with many Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on a number of occasions. Following his death in April, hours after delivering the traditional Easter Sunday message, four former Moderators reflected on their experience.

On February 12 2015, the Islamic State (IS) released a report showing images of 21 Christian construction workers that they had kidnapped in the city of Sirte, Libya.

On February 15, a video was released showing their murder by beheading. It appears that these victims would have been spared had they converted to Islam, but they refused and the sole reason for their murder was that they held fast to their Christian faith. News of this atrocity was the backdrop to my first meeting with Pope Francis. Our ecumenical exchanges seemed as nothing compared to our shared belief which was expressed on the day by Pope Francis: “They only said ‘Jesus help me ...’ The blood of our Christian brothers is testimony that cries out. Be they Catholic, Orthodox, Copts, Lutherans, it doesn’t matter: They’re Christian!” Pope Francis often cut through the fine print of the dogmas that separate people of faith.

In similar vein, in April 2019, it was the convening power of Pope Francis that brought together the warring factions of the dysfunctional government of the youngest nation on earth, South Sudan. In one of the most memorable experiences of my years in ministry I was invited, with the Archbishop of Canterbury to join Pope Francis in leading a 48-hour retreat, in search of peace. The opposing sides were also separated by denominational affiliation and a five-year civil war had taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

I was there when in a remarkable, spontaneous breach of protocol, Pope Francis fell to his knees, kissing the feet of South Sudan’s civil authorities, begging them to “seek what unites you, beginning with the fact that you belong to one and the same people, and to overcome all that divides you.” Our joint Benediction must have been a first in Vatican history, when the Holy Father shared the blessing with an Anglican Archbishop and Scottish Presbyterian Minister.

He was passionate about people and passionate about peace. He knew that war was a futile and a tragic waste, so, when I presented him with a glass dove which had been crafted in Bethlehem from shards of glass recovered from bombsites and scenes of violence he saw immediately its significance as a symbol of hope and peace.

The Very Rev Dr John Chalmers, Moderator in 2014/2015

In a moderatorial year shining moments are many. Amongst the brightest of my shining moments was an invitation to meet Pope Francis, kindly organised by my friend and neighbour, Archbishop Leo Cushley.

Meeting Francis, the first thing to notice was the sparkle in his eyes, then the warmth of his smile, and finally the firmness of his handshake, both hands. I had prepared a formal statement touching on the 500th anniversary of the German Lutheran Reformation, and the plight of the refugees and economic migrants, and the importance of the Diaconate and its recognition, over a century ago in Scotland, of the role of women in the Church. “I’ve never met a female Deacon”, the Pope said. “If you wait a moment, I can make one appear through that door”, I replied, and later introduced one of my chaplains, Anne Mulligan DCS, to Pope Francis. He was clearly delighted, and so was she!

We sat in the formal audience room on opposite sides of a table and with a mixture of English, Italian, Spanish and Latin began to talk and listen. After a short time, he got up, came around the table, pulled a chair beside mine and sat closer. “Better”, he said. It was a very simple action but spoke volumes of the man who spent his ministry, and his pontificate, getting alongside others, and allowing others to get alongside him.

Soon we got up to walk about the apartment, keeping careful not to go too near the windows which looked onto St Peter’s Square, in case crowds rushed forward expecting him to wave from the balcony, he said!

In the hour and a half of one-to-one conversation, we touched on many important matters. Before the later formal part of our meeting he asked if I would pray for him, and he would pray for me. We embraced, and laughed, and commented on the colour of each other’s socks (mine red and yellow; his black).

The lasting memory is of his warmth, sincerity, compassion, sparkling humour, and faithfulness. No bad way for this good man to be remembered.

The Very Rev Dr Derek Browning, Moderator in 2017/18 and minister at Edinburgh: Morningside

A warm, caring, approachable, man of peace, and yet a man who could not be silent in the face of injustice.

My experience of meeting Pope Francis was not through an audience with him but working alongside him on a pilgrimage for peace in South Sudan (at that time one of the most violent countries in the world) in 2023. He was obviously, at that time, not a well man, but in his eyes, there was significant work still to be done in the name of Christ and for the sake of the people of this young country, so scarred by death and violence.

After a private meeting with Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury it was straight to work and a meeting with the president and leadership of South Sudan. What I found remarkable about Francis was his refusal to accept any standard lower than justice for the people of this young emerging country – he was forthright and uncompromising in his insistence that not only must violence cease but that generous love take its place. He almost commanded that “peace would blossom and bear fruit”.

“In a world scarred by divisions and conflict, this country”, he said, “ is hosting an ecumenical pilgrimage of peace, which is something rare.”

We, along with him, met with church leaders, displaced peoples, the ordinary folks of South Sudan, in order to express the longing of his heart for peace and to do anything in his power to make it happen. This was the longing of his heart – peace.

On a personal level, the time spent with Pope Francis was both rewarding and inspiring. In many respects he was a downto-earth and humble man. He was easy to be with, good company and a decent, pleasant man with a lovely, gentle, sense of humour. He had a genuine love for people that was rooted in his faith in Christ which shone through, yet he would not accept anything other than justice for the most marginalised in our world. Here are his final words to the leadership and people of South Sudan: “Dear brothers and sisters, the three of us are returning to our own homes, with you even closer to our hearts. Let me repeat: you are in our hearts, you are in the hearts of Christians worldwide. Never lose hope and lose no opportunity to build peace.”

The Very Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator in 2022/2023

One of the most genuine encounters I have ever had. Against the breathtaking backdrop of the Vatican and the rich story told through the paintings, the profoundly beautiful sculptures and icons and the centuries of love expressed to God, Pope Francis welcomed us like family coming for a catch up.

He did things he did not have to do – he remembered people in our group he had met before and spoke to them especially. He included everyone in the small gathering in the room, but the conversation went deep. We spoke of the deep sense of grief and impotence in the attempts to stem the flow of violence and inhumanity being unleashed in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory – the Priest in Gaza, the ‘family member’ he spoke to every day, just so they knew he was praying for them.

We discussed the potential our two Church traditions embodied and the deep desire that we live out the unity Christ calls us to. And he took time to be grateful and generous towards the gifts of others.

My abiding memory of Pope Francis is his response to the small gift I brought – a print of ‘The Throwaway People’ by Edinburgh artist, Michael McVeigh. The drawing was the artist’s interpretation of how easily people could fall through the cracks – how fragile life is. Pope Francis turned the drawing over, with its meaning in Italian on the back and said: ‘I don’t want to forget that.’ As we left, he gave me a Papal medal for the artist. One of the most genuine encounters I have ever had.

The Very Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator in 2023/24 ¤