Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On Easter Monday, 21 April 2025, the world and over a billion Catholics, of which I am but one, learned the sad news of the passing of Pope Francis. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires to Italian immigrants who fled the shadow of Mussolini's fascism, his life was shaped by humility, hardship and deep faith. From working as a bouncer and a janitor to serving in hospitality, Jorge's early experiences grounded him in the very dignity of labour. At the age of 21, while seriously ill, he discerned a vocation that would shape history, entering the Jesuit order and being ordained a priest in 1969—a journey into Catholicism that culminated in his ordination as the Pope.

Pope Francis was indeed a trailblazer—the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from Latin America and the first pope born outside of Europe since the eighth century. His very name, chosen in honour of St Francis of Assisi, foreshadowed a papacy centred on humility, compassion and service for the poor. He consciously rejected the extravagances of office, choosing to live in the Vatican guesthouse, wearing simpler garments and embracing a no-frills papacy. In his very first Holy Thursday as Pope, he washed and kissed the feet of 12 juvenile offenders—an act of radical empathy and grace.

Francis sought to refocus the church on its core mission: mercy. He taught that sin and culpability are not the same and that God's grace finds us in our frailty, not in our perfection. By every one of us seeking to practice forgiveness, we are extending God's love. As the Pope quoted in Amoris Laetitia:

… "a small step, in the midst of great human limitations, can be more pleasing to God than a life which appears outwardly in order, but moves through the day without confronting great difficulties".

Through his compassion, Pope Francis challenged all of us to look upon the world not through eyes of judgement but rather through eyes and a heart of compassion and to see those in pain not as burdens but, as he addressed them, as brothers and sisters in Christ. He reminded us, as St Francis of Assisi did, that 'your god is of your flesh; he lives in your nearest neighbour, in every man'.

Pope Francis also embraced the need for reform. His synod on synodality brought new voices to the church, including women, for the first time, voting in a global synod—an extraordinary moment for representation and inclusion in an ancient institution.

As we share our condolences, let us remember his words in his first speech as pope. He said:

And now let us begin this journey, the Bishop and people, this journey of the Church of Rome, which presides in charity over all the Churches, a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust. Let us always pray for one another. Let us pray for the whole world that there might be a great sense of brotherhood.

…   …   …

I will now give my blessing to you and to the whole world, to all men and women of good will.

Indeed, when I was on a polling booth at the election, one lady spoke to me about her grief at the loss of the Pope. She said: 'I'm not a Catholic and I'm not even religious, but, let's face it, I'm sad. I saw him as the Pope of the world.'

Today, at the ecumenical worship service at the Wesley Uniting Church to mark the opening of the 48th federal parliament, the theme of the homily was taken from the first letter of St John: 'God is Love'. The Reverend Richard Thompson VG CSM, Vicar-General of the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, reminded all gathered that trust in people who profess faith is not governed by the words they utter but rather by the actions that they undertake. Father Thompson called on all of us to live that love, that kindness and that generosity in our work here in the parliament in Australia.

In my view, Pope Francis embodied that direction 'God is love', and I witnessed it personally. On the occasion of my husband and I being on holiday in Rome, we attended, in a large public audience, Pope Francis's meeting of the people for the day. Pope Francis's compassion was evident and demonstrated. When following his apostolic blessing, he came down into the gathering and spent the next 20 minutes before he left the building immersed in conversation and giving his personal blessing to people with discernible physical frailty. His reflection that day was on the Old Testament, the Book of Judith. His message was, 'Lord, not my will, but yours be done.' It was a calling on us, as people of goodwill and faith, to emulate that trust. It is, indeed, a radical message for our time. Trust in the Lord's providential care is hardly the fashion of the moment.

Pope Francis understood that the church must be both timeless and timely, anchored in faith, but responsive to the world. He broadened the tent, he expanded the conversation and he reminded us all that the gospel must always walk with people. Pope Francis was in every sense a true man of God—a reformer, a shepherd, a servant of the poor and a voice for the voiceless. May Pope Francis rest in peace and may his legacy of mercy and justice endure and flourish in the life of the church and in the hearts of all people of goodwill.