Homily - Mass for Pope Francis

St Eugene's Cathedral, Derry.
25 April 2025

On the eve of the funeral of Pope Francis 

The scripture readings this week have all focused on two themes – the meetings between Jesus and his disciples after the Resurrection, and an explanation of what the life and ministry of Jesus had been about. That provides us with the context in which we gather to pray for Pope Francis. He knew that, like every one of us, he too needed the grace of God in order to share in the grace of the Cross and Resurrection. Heaven is not simply the reward earned by those who would boast of their good deeds. Our lives are a fragile response to the free gift of divine life that we have encountered. Thus, as for every other Christian, the Pope's funeral is not a time for a eulogy but an occasion for prayer.

Yes, we can give thanks to God for his many years of committed ministry, his courageous reaching out to - and for - those on the margins and his challenging of vested interests, political and economic. But we will remember the last 12 years as a time when Christ's messages of mercy and joy were proclaimed. These may have been key themes in the personal spiritual journey of Jorge Bergoglio. But they were also core messages for our angry and frightened times. He spoke an uncomplicated language that addressed peace, the destruction of the earth's resources and the effect on the poor – and he challenged vested interests in economics and in the church. Like Peter and John in today's first reading, Pope Francis knew that the truth was always uncomfortable – and that (to quote the first reading and the psalm) the stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone. The future can only be built on the corner stone of a shared search for the truth and never on the shifting sands of greed and narrow self-interest.

But it is intriguing that, despite his espousal of uncomfortable causes, tomorrow's funeral will be attended by many of the powerful whom he would have criticised or who would have little or no connection with Christianity of any kind, least of all with Catholicism. The crowds of people from every walk of life suggest that there is a hunger for the message that Peter and John preached to the rulers, elders and scribes in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. Resurrection means that bad news and poor role models, brutality and hard-heartedness are not the best we can expect, nor will they have the final say. In the crowds I hear a cry for grace and new life to overcome the reality of sin and exploitation.

And Jesus' message on the shores of the Sea of Galilee is one that the church always needs to hear. The life of Pope Francis suggested that one great danger to church comes not from outside enemies of the Word but from those in church who think that an abundant catch is not possible. Peter and his companions go against their best instinct as experienced fishermen – and are astounded by huge catch of fish. This is the sort of conversion that are needed if the church is to be renewed. Synodality is not about tinkering with structures or teachings to suit somebody's human agenda. Synodality is about listening together for what the Lord is saying – and leadership is about having the courage to put out the nets, despite everything that is saying that this would be a waste of time. It is worth noting in our Gospel story that, as the apostles come ashore with a haul of fish, Jesus already has a fire lit with fish cooking on it. But he still asks the apostles to bring some of the fish that they have just caught. Though he can provide everything, he still wants everyone to be able to make their contribution to the shared table. A Eucharist community sits down together where everyone has a contribution to make. Resurrection changes not only what has happened. It changes what can happen. It involves a resurrection of our imagination and of what we dream for the mission of the church. Renewal comes not merely from believing the truth but from living the truth in reviewing how we structure our community of missionary disciples.

And so, in these days, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to God. In life he constantly asked people to pray for him. He knew, like the first Peter did, that of all the names in the world, the name of Jesus is the only one by which we can be saved. We accompany him with our prayers as he comes before the one who says that, as often as we reached out to the least of his brothers and sisters, we did it to him.

Because we can look back on the last years with gratitude for the one who began his ministry with the words 'Good evening' and who finished his ministry by saying 'Happy Easter', we can face the future with trust that God will continue be be at work in his church. All we have to do is act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with our God - and be amazed at the abundant catch that comes through those who put out into the deep and allow God to bring Resurrection into the mess of our Calvaries.

May his soul and all the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

+ Donal