Pope Francis’s Outreach Leaves Enduring Legacy
Pope Francis spent 12 years as pontiff, consistently advocating for a church engaged with the real world. From the beginning, he promoted a vision of a “bruised, hurting and dirty” church that engaged with people’s pain rather than standing apart. He once said he wanted a church for “todos, todos, todos” – “everyone, everyone, everyone.”
While he upheld Catholic doctrine, Francis focused on compassion, particularly towards people on society’s edges. Many of those he met described how the encounters transformed their lives.
Refugees Find Life Through Humanitarian Action
In 2016, Pope Francis flew 12 Muslim refugees from Lesbos to Rome, including Nour Essa, her husband Hassan Zaheda, and their two-year-old son Riad.
- Essa, now a biologist at Bambino Gesù hospital in Rome, credited the Pope with saving their lives
- Francis remembered the name of every asylum seeker he welcomed
“Thanks to this humanitarian corridor he championed, the pope saved our lives,” Essa said. “He gave us a new opportunity.”
Essa followed the news of Francis’s hospitalisation with concern. “When I saw him bless the faithful at Easter, I thought he was out of danger,” she said.
“Francis is no more, but his message of welcome will endure,” she said.
A Moment That Changed a Life
In 2013, Francis met Vinicio Riva, whose face was disfigured by neurofibromatosis. Their embrace in St Peter’s Square made headlines.
Figure 2: Pope Francis embraces Vinicio Riva, a man with neurofibromatosis
- Riva died in January 2024 at age 58
- Family said the meeting brought joy and new purpose to his life
“Meeting the pope was his return to life,” said cousin Sandra Della Molle.
Caterina Della Molle, Riva’s aunt, said the Pope’s gesture changed him. “He became more optimistic, more open,” she said.
Sandra added, “I saw it again the day Francis died. I pictured Vinicio… waiting to embrace the pope once more.”
Trans Teacher Finds Acceptance in Faith
In October 2024, George White, a trans teacher from Leicester, met Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square.
White and three other trans men had queued from 7am for the weekly audience.
- Francis accepted a book on trans life in the church
- White said the blessing affirmed his dignity
“He thanked me, and said, ‘God bless you,’” White recalled. “It affirmed my human dignity.”
White expressed hope that the church’s openness would continue. “He was about listening to people and accepting their stories,” he said.
“I’m worried that the next pope might be more conservative,” White said. “I hope the Holy Spirit will guide the cardinals’ decision.”
Figure 3: George White, a trans Catholic who met the pope
Cameroonian Asylum Seeker Recalls Support
Mbengue Nyimbilo Crépín, known as Pato, arrived in Italy in 2023 after crossing the Mediterranean. He lost his wife and daughter in the desert.
- A photo of their bodies went viral
- Francis asked to meet Crépín two days after his arrival
“I couldn’t believe someone like him would stoop to meet someone like me,” Crépín said.
Francis had visited Lampedusa in 2013 to highlight migrant deaths at sea.
“He became like a father or brother to me,” Crépín said. “I am not only a pope, I am a brother to all, a father to all,” Francis told him.
Figure 4: Pope Francis blesses Crépín
Crépín said those words help him through grief. “Once again, I became an orphan,” he said after Francis’s death.
Divorced Women Receive Church’s Embrace
In 2017, 36 Spanish women from Toledo wrote to Pope Francis about their experiences after reading Amoris Laetitia.
- The Pope invited them to the Vatican for a personal audience
- The meeting lasted over 100 minutes
Figure 5: Pope Francis with the Santa Teresa group of divorced and separated women in Rome in June 2017
“He was a very straightforward man who radiated humility, goodness and joy,” said Isabel Díaz.
“If you were talking to him about something painful, his face changed,” she said.
Another member, Esperanza Gómez-Menor, said, “It felt like I was being embraced by my church as a person who was wounded.”
Francis turned off the lights as they left the room.
“Going over there was like being in a dream,” said Díaz. “He gave us hope.”
Legacy of Inclusion and Direct Action
Throughout his pontificate, Francis reached out directly to individuals often excluded from the church’s traditional focus.
His early visits to Lampedusa and Lesbos signalled an intentional shift.
- He opened Vatican doors to LGBTQ+ individuals
- He prioritised marginalised voices over institutional comfort
Pope Francis’s actions resonated deeply across religious and cultural boundaries. Those he met often describe him as a father, a brother, and a human being first.
His influence continues in the lives of those who say he gave them hope, dignity, and a place within the church.
