We need to stop romanticizing the gospel — but that doesn’t mean discarding the message. Some people hear this and think it means stripping away all Roman influence, dismantling the Roman Catholic Church, or rejecting the historical forms Christianity has taken. But that’s not the point. These are part of the story too. This is the Word made flesh: not pure, not ideal, but tangled in the birth, decay, and rebirth of history itself. Living things die. New life is born. The cycle continues. We are called not to cling to forms, but to heal and carry the spirit forward. We don’t truly live until we learn to grieve. Impermanence is a blessing which holds hope for new life.
I am a Roman Catholic nun. I have been surprised by the grief I feel over Pope Francis’ death. I fall in the category of supporter. The parasocial connection you mentioned makes sense, and this was the first time I have experienced this type of “relationship” with a Pope. In the past, they all seemed to be definitely not God, but certainly above human. They were someone to whom I could relate. From the moment he walked out on the infamous papal balcony, I felt he was different. Which one has ever started his papacy with the simple words, “Good evening.” His interactions with people, no matter who they were, always seemed so be genuine. For me, he offered the world hope. When I awoke April 21 to see the headlines that he had died, the hope drained right out of me. The one light in the darkness of this world went out. Now what? As the conclave rapidly approaches, I feel a mix of excitement and repulsion toward the ritual itself. But the predominant emotions is grief and not wanting to replace Francis yet. It won’t be the same. What if he undos everything Francis did? What if he isn’t as loving as Francis was?
Thank you so much for reading and for sharing your experience so openly. Your description of hope draining away and the tension between excitement and repulsion toward the ritual absolutely resonates.
I feel loss for an imperfect person who knew he was and rose above to reckon with imperfection in a most public world arena. Non catholic myself I know I am not Catholic by faith. I am catholic with a small c who values and respects all.
As someone else said, you've articulated what many feel about the death of Pope Francis. As a practicing Catholic, I could reflect on this from my experiencing Francis' oftentimes lack of clarity, his humility, his attitude for the disenfranchised and other issues the media jumped upon to accommodate their vague moral standing. However, what is most important to me is that he did not attempt to change Catholic teaching. Like many "personalities"--obviously he was much more than that--he was scrutinized and praised and vilified by news organizations constantly. So much so that, to many of us, became like the father figure you would argue with, especially in regards to social issues and how to solve its problem feom a Christian perspective. Pope Francis, our spiritual father, will be prayed for by all of us who seek to understand Christianity and tlook forward to life beyond this one...hopefully in Heaven. (The other place doesn't seem to appealing.)
Beautiful! Thank you so very much; I love the nuanced way you talk about his work, Catholicism (and Christianity), his legacy, and the vagaries of human living.
I love when someone writes about something I've experienced but couldn't articulate- thanks for writing this! While I am far removed from organized religion and this news didn't draw my attention, I did experience this parasocial grief when I woke to the news of Anthony Bourdain. I *had* let his words and presence into my life. I did feel like he was my traveling partner in this one-sided relationship. Our minds are so fascinating.
We need to stop romanticizing the gospel — but that doesn’t mean discarding the message. Some people hear this and think it means stripping away all Roman influence, dismantling the Roman Catholic Church, or rejecting the historical forms Christianity has taken. But that’s not the point. These are part of the story too. This is the Word made flesh: not pure, not ideal, but tangled in the birth, decay, and rebirth of history itself. Living things die. New life is born. The cycle continues. We are called not to cling to forms, but to heal and carry the spirit forward. We don’t truly live until we learn to grieve. Impermanence is a blessing which holds hope for new life.
Thank you for reading and for that reminder about impermanence and grief. It’s a hard truth, but a hopeful one too.
I am a Roman Catholic nun. I have been surprised by the grief I feel over Pope Francis’ death. I fall in the category of supporter. The parasocial connection you mentioned makes sense, and this was the first time I have experienced this type of “relationship” with a Pope. In the past, they all seemed to be definitely not God, but certainly above human. They were someone to whom I could relate. From the moment he walked out on the infamous papal balcony, I felt he was different. Which one has ever started his papacy with the simple words, “Good evening.” His interactions with people, no matter who they were, always seemed so be genuine. For me, he offered the world hope. When I awoke April 21 to see the headlines that he had died, the hope drained right out of me. The one light in the darkness of this world went out. Now what? As the conclave rapidly approaches, I feel a mix of excitement and repulsion toward the ritual itself. But the predominant emotions is grief and not wanting to replace Francis yet. It won’t be the same. What if he undos everything Francis did? What if he isn’t as loving as Francis was?
Thank you so much for reading and for sharing your experience so openly. Your description of hope draining away and the tension between excitement and repulsion toward the ritual absolutely resonates.
I feel loss for an imperfect person who knew he was and rose above to reckon with imperfection in a most public world arena. Non catholic myself I know I am not Catholic by faith. I am catholic with a small c who values and respects all.
Thank you for reading and reflecting with me <3
Beautifully said, Maura. 🌹✨
The passing of Pope Francis isn’t just the end of a man — it’s the slow unraveling of a myth stitched into the fabric of our collective psyche.
The old cathedrals are cracking, not just in stone but in spirit.
And as the sacred scaffolding collapses, we are left not with answers, but with raw sky overhead — terrifying and free.
Maybe that’s the holiest moment of all: realizing the divine was never safely locked inside the temples.
It was always breathing through us, waiting to be remembered. 🌿🕊️
Stay mythic. Stay awake.
—Virgin Monk Boy
As someone else said, you've articulated what many feel about the death of Pope Francis. As a practicing Catholic, I could reflect on this from my experiencing Francis' oftentimes lack of clarity, his humility, his attitude for the disenfranchised and other issues the media jumped upon to accommodate their vague moral standing. However, what is most important to me is that he did not attempt to change Catholic teaching. Like many "personalities"--obviously he was much more than that--he was scrutinized and praised and vilified by news organizations constantly. So much so that, to many of us, became like the father figure you would argue with, especially in regards to social issues and how to solve its problem feom a Christian perspective. Pope Francis, our spiritual father, will be prayed for by all of us who seek to understand Christianity and tlook forward to life beyond this one...hopefully in Heaven. (The other place doesn't seem to appealing.)
Paul, thank you so much for reading and sharing your reflections. I'm glad to hear this piece resonated with you :)
Beautiful! Thank you so very much; I love the nuanced way you talk about his work, Catholicism (and Christianity), his legacy, and the vagaries of human living.
Thanks for reading!
I love when someone writes about something I've experienced but couldn't articulate- thanks for writing this! While I am far removed from organized religion and this news didn't draw my attention, I did experience this parasocial grief when I woke to the news of Anthony Bourdain. I *had* let his words and presence into my life. I did feel like he was my traveling partner in this one-sided relationship. Our minds are so fascinating.
Thank you for reading and for sharing your experience. Bourdain meant a great deal to many. I still miss him, too!