A courageous Pastor touching the mind and the heart. Pope Francis has been inspiring for me. By his life and words, he was able to touch not only the mind but also the heart. Francis is that Pastor who uses metaphor to connect well with human real experience. His messages, exhortation will be remembered not because they come from Francis, the first Jesuit to be Pope, but because they connected us to our roots: Jesus, the Gospel, the Word made flesh for the salvation of every creature. 

I remember vividly his courageous call the whole world, especially those purposely exploiting others, during his visit to the DR Congo in January 2023: “Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Hands off Africa! Stop choking Africa: Africa is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered,” and to the young people in Kenya (2015) he would say “don’t let corruption rob you of your dreams. Be the generation that stands for truth, justice, and honesty.” He believed in the power of the young people of transforming the world and the Church if they led themselves led by Christ who “is alive and wants them to be alive” (Christus Vivit).

Francis, a Pastor deeply rooted in prayer and closeness to God. His rich words to the Bishops in the Congo translate his closeness to God and to the people we serve. “When we cherish our closeness to God, we feel drawn towards our people and will always feel compassion for those entrusted to our care. The word of God is a fire that burns within and impels us to go forth! This, then, is what we are as Bishops: men set afire by the word of God, sent forth with apostolic zeal towards the people of God!”

He added “Sadly, I know that the Christian community of this land also has another face. It is the face of a Church that suffers for its people, a heart in which the life of the people, with its joys and trials, beats anxiously. A Church that is a visible sign of Christ, who even today is rejected, condemned and reviled in the many crucified people of our world; a Church that weeps with their tears, and like Jesus, a Church that also wants to dry those tears.” This is a call to be where the people are and knowing that far from God our ministry will be unproductive.

As a Jesuits engaged in health and youth development sector in the African continent trough the work of the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN), these words of Francis and others resonate continuously in me, they shape our ministry as individual and as a network in various ways. Like, Pope Francis, I strongly believe that a healthy, developed and fully alive African continent is not possible if our young people are left aside. We need to put our effort together, accompany the youths and build them from within (with knowledge, values and skills…)  so that they can face any destructive force that may come from outside.   

Thank you, Francis for your inspiring and challenging words, and simple life. May God to whom he dedicated all his life grant perpetual peace to his soul. He will remain alive in my heart.

–Fr Matambura Kashosi Ismael, sj
Director, AJAN.