OPINION | Pope Francis was deeply committed to love and service

On March 13 2013, the world witnessed a quiet but historic shift. An unknown cardinal from Argentina stepped onto the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was not only the first pope from Latin America, but also the first to take the name Francis, signalling humility, simplicity and a new type of leadership.

His roots in the Global South and his identity as a Jesuit – the first (Jesuit) to be a pope – would go on to shape one of the most globally impactful papacies of our time.

From the beginning, Pope Francis stood out – not for grand gestures of power, but for consistently turning the world’s attention to the forgotten and the vulnerable. He called for a church and society that “goes forth” – towards the margins, towards those excluded by wealth, war, environmental collapse or social prejudice.

His first trip outside the Vatican wasn’t to a world capital, but to Lampedusa, an island where thousands of migrants and refugees arrive seeking safety. There, he called the world to moral attention: to see not statistics, but human lives. His choice of Lampedusa unequivocally highlighted the priority he would give to those who are in the existential margins of our society, especially victims of the pervasive violations of human dignity – (forced) migrants.

Francis’s approach to leadership was deeply reflective, rooted in listening, dialogue and the search for wisdom amid complexity. He reminded global leaders, faith institutions and citizens alike that sustainable change begins by walking together, especially with the poor, the youth and those whose voices or cries are often ignored. His model of leadership was not about control, but about accompaniment: being present, patient and compassionate in the face of injustice and need.

Though he was not the first leader of the Catholic church to speak out on environmental injustices, one of Pope Francis’s most enduring aspects of his legacy will undoubtedly be his voice on environmental issues.

In his landmark text, Laudato Si’, Francis connected the climate crisis with economic inequality and outlined environmental destruction as a moral challenge facing humanity. His message was clear: we cannot heal the earth unless we address the structures and systems that exploit both people and planet.

He called for an “ecological conversion” that transcends religion – one that demands urgent global co-operation, justice and respect for life in all its forms.

Pope Francis also pushed for institutional reforms in one of the world’s oldest and most structured organisations – the Vatican. He opened doors to greater transparency and representation, including appointing women to key leadership positions and called for a church that resembles a “field hospital” – a place that heals rather than judges, that welcomes rather than excludes.

Throughout his leadership, one thing remained consistent: his deep commitment to love and service. Whether one is Catholic or not, his example speaks to a universal truth – that dignity, solidarity and compassion are essential to a more humane world. In an age of division, he chose unity. In times of crisis, he chose care.

Pope Francis reminded the world that leadership is not about being above others, but about standing beside them in solidarity. His papacy may have ended, but the values he championed – justice, equity, and care for the earth – remain a call to action for all of us.

In remembering his life, we are invited not simply to mourn his passing, but to live his message.

• Hlobo is the director of the Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network of Africa & Madagascar (JENA)