The Last Humble Pope?

Farewell to the Pope, and the Man Who Wore the Shoes of the Fisherman

By 3Narratives

In a world roaring with headlines, sometimes the softest goodbye is the one that matters most.

Pope Francis—the first Jesuit Pope, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and perhaps the most human of them all—has bid farewell. Not just as a global religious leader, but as the man he always was: Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the boy from Buenos Aires who walked with the people long before he ever waved from a Vatican balcony.

As the world watches him exit the stage, we don’t just lose a Pope. We lose something rarer: a leader who led not by decree, but by humility.

Who Was He, Really?

Before the robes, before the white skullcap and bulletproof Popemobile, there was Jorge. Born in 1936 to working-class Italian immigrants in Argentina, Jorge was quiet, thoughtful, the kind of child who read too much and spoke too little. He once cleaned floors and worked as a nightclub bouncer. He lost a part of his lung to illness. He trained as a chemist before choosing the path of the priesthood.

And then, a moment of mercy changed his life. At 17, a confessional experience left him in tears—and convinced him of his calling. Not to power, but to people.

A Pope Unlike Any Other

When Jorge became Pope Francis in 2013, the world expected business as usual. What they got instead was… a revolution of kindness.

• He chose a small apartment over the Apostolic Palace.
• He drove a Ford Focus, not a limousine.
• He washed the feet of prisoners, kissed the faces of the sick, and welcomed the forgotten.
• He challenged capitalism, fought for climate justice, and asked world leaders to lead with compassion.
• He said, “Who am I to judge?” in reference to LGBTQ+ Catholics—five words that shattered centuries of rigidity.

But this same humility also made him controversial.

Traditionalists grumbled. Conservative factions stirred. Yet Pope Francis kept walking—forward, barefoot in spirit, if not in form.

The Shoes of the Fisherman

The Pope wears the “shoes of the fisherman”—symbolizing St. Peter, the first Pope, a man called from nets and water to shepherd souls.

But Francis wore those shoes differently. They weren’t polished, pristine symbols of power. They were dusty, worn, maybe even cracked in places. And that’s what made them—him—believable.

He reminded the world that the Church isn’t just a cathedral. It’s a conversation. A breath. A heart that beats beside the poor, the grieving, and the outcast.

The Farewell

Whether you’re Catholic, another faith, or no faith at all, one thing is hard to deny: Pope Francis was real. He was flawed, tired, funny, kind, and occasionally heartbreaking.

He made us think about what it means to lead with mercy instead of might.

And so, this is not just a farewell to the Pope.
It’s a goodbye to the man who once walked the streets of Argentina, notebook in hand, hoping he might one day help the world heal.

Thank You, Jorge.

Thank you for reminding us that faith isn’t certainty—it’s love in action. Thank you for listening when others shouted. For kneeling when others judged. For speaking when it mattered.

We may never see another Pope like you.

And if we do, it will be because someone—somewhere—read your story and quietly said:

“Maybe I can walk that path too.”

“Death

Pope Francis Funeral

At the funeral Mass on Saturday at 10:00 AM, visiting dignitaries will be arranged according to protocol.

The Presidents of Argentina (the Pope’s homeland) and then of Italy, followed by members of royal households and the other presidents in French alphabetical order. Mr. Bruni explained that the procession with the vehicle carrying the Pope’s body to St. Mary Major will leave from the Perugino Door to the Vatican and that it will not pass through St. Peter’s Square.

The procession toward St. Mary Major will take about half an hour, he said, adding that the Pope’s coffin will be visible. Mr. Bruni said the interment at the late Pope’s tomb in St. Mary Major will be a private act. On Sunday afternoon, the Cardinals will go to the Marian Basilica at around 4:00 p.m, where they will pass through the Holy Door, visit Pope Francis’s tomb, and then gather in the Pauline Chapel where the icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani is housed. They will then pray Vespers together. In conclusion, Mr. Bruni said that around 150,000 people have paid their respects to the late Pope in St. Peter’s Basilica, as of noon on Friday

Main article: Death and funeral of Pope Francis

See also: Reactions to the death of Pope Francis

Francis died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, 21 April 2025, at 07:35 CEST (UTC+02:00) in his residence in Domus Sanctae Marthae.^[508][509] His death was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell on the Vatican’s TV channel and in a video statement.^[510]

The exact circumstances of his death are yet to be disclosed.^[511][512] Italian media reported that the death was caused by a brain-related issue, likely a stroke.^{[513][514][515]} His last public appearance was at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Easter Sunday, the day before his death.^[516]

The pope’s death begins a papal interregnum and a nine-day period of mourning known as the novemdiales (Latin for ‘nine days’). The funeral, by tradition, takes place within four to six days of the pope’s death. His wish was to be buried at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.^[517] Cardinal-electors will arrive in Rome to attend the general congregation of cardinals, which will decide the date and time of the upcoming conclave.^[518]