At the conclusion of the recent Universal Synod in October 2024, Pope Francis quoted Madeleine Delbrêl in saying that “there are places where the Spirit blows, but there is one Spirit who blows in every place.”
As we mourn the passing of Pope Francis we thank God for the particular way in which he himself was a bearer of the Holy Spirit, giving voice to the cry of the poor, to the cry of the earth, calling us to solidarity across nations and cultures, championing the rights of migrants and calling the Church back to the synodal dynamics of her springtime.
He encouraged each of us to play our part, no matter how small. For Pope Francis, “small is not a handicap; it’s a resource.”
May he rest in the peace of Christ, and may the Holy Spirit continue to guide us on our pilgrim way.
Abbot Columba McCann OSB