Mumbai Catholics Mourn Pope Francis: ‘A Voice That Spoke Truth To Power’

Members of the Roman Catholic Church in Mumbai remembered Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 in Rome at age 88, as a humble and gentle leader who ushered in many changes in the 1.4 billion-strong church.

Churches in Mumbai sounded the funeral toll slowly and solemnly on Monday evening after prayers in his memory. Bandra resident David Vaz, a media consultant, said Pope Francis' legacy will live on forever.  "A humble soul with a heart of gold, he touched millions with his warm smile and tireless dedication to promoting peace and harmony among all religions and nations he visited," said Vaz.

Virginia Saldanha, a woman theologian and former head of church commissions, saw Pope Francis as a prophetic and clear voice in an increasingly fractured world. "He dared to speak truth to power. He stood up against everything wrong. The world has not seen this kind of voice in a long time," said Saldanha, who has fond memories of a meeting with Pope Francis in December 2024. "He exuded goodness, warmth, and kindness."

Church members called Pope Francis 'a leader who leads by action'. "Pope Francis was a true messenger of Christ's message of love. Despite his health condition, he visited a prison on Good Friday and gave Easter blessings on Sunday. He spoke the truth, condemning wrong action and persecution of innocent people. Yet he was loved by world leaders," said Judith Monteiro, a member of Our Lady of Salvation Church (Portuguese Church), Dadar.

Melwyn Fernandes, a member of Our Lady of Mercy, Thane, said that Pope Francis led the church during a turbulent time. "Pope Francis was a shepherd who brought hope in troubled times in the world," said Fernandes.

Members of the LGBTQ+ community remembered the Pope's statement, 'Who am I to judge ?', to explain his inclusion of communities who felt marginalised by the mainstream church. Pope Francis approved the blessing of same-sex couples, albeit with some riders, in 2023. His washing the feet of women in a  Maundy Thursday ritual in the early years of his papacy triggered fears that he might allow the ordination of women priests. The selection of women for a ritual commemorating the washing of his disciples' feet by Jesus Christ before the Last Supper was once restricted to men was an unprecedented gesture.

LGBTQ+ Catholics said Pope Francis' death is a blow to the hopes of a community that felt included in the church. "While we mourn, we hope that the next Pope will continue the legacy of Pope Francis' outreach to the LGBTQ community," said Daniella Mendonca, a member of Rainbow Catholics. "Pope Francis believed that the love of God should be seen and not just said."

Pope Francis also broke paths by welcoming divorced and remarried Catholics, groups that often face ostracism in orthodox sections of the community. While he declined to recognise gay marriages as an act of acquiescence with the more orthodox sections of the clergy, he sanctioned the blessings of same-sex partners and baptism of transgender people.

Many church members felt that the Pope would have gone further in his reforms, but had his hands tied by the orthodox section of the church. "There was tremendous pullback from the right wing. His approval of the blessings for same-sex partners was a couched way of accepting their desire to love. Pope Francis has left big shoes to fill," said Saldanha.

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