Incredible Ways Pope Francis is Becoming the Voice of Compassion

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“None should have to feel there is no room for them on this earth” – Pope Francis

The leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, is known as being the pope of the people. His teachings have been praised by the faithful and nonreligious alike because of his attention to kindness and compassion. He has made a tremendous effort to change the way people interact with each other, and calls on us to make changes for the better.

Through his work with the poor to his landmark papal documents on family life, the pope is reshaping how the church thinks. He’s pushing boundaries of the church to remind us that we should love everyone, regardless of the situation they come from. He’s outlining a more compassionate vision that enhances the lives of those who are suffering the most.

Here are just a few of the many ways that the pope is becoming the voice of compassion for the most vulnerable and helpless.

Compassion in Healthcare

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In late 2017, Pope Francis sent a message to health workers and organizations saying that compassion is at the heart of what they do. He praised the compassion of doctors, nurses, and all support staff for their ability to “minimize the pain associated with loneliness and anxiety.” He continued by stressing the importance for healthcare workers to not focus on just having a successful organization, but one that prides itself on listening, accompanying and supporting the people they care for. Pope Francis spoke about this in an effort to address the global disparities in access to healthcare in a conference organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in collaboration with the International Confederation of Catholic Healthcare Institutions.

Compassion For Refugees

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Pope Francis has been critical of anti-migration policies popping up in Europe. In 2017, he released a memo from the Vatican that highlighted the importance of social and economic justice for those who have already migrated, and those who wanted to do so. Pope Francis delivered the memo with a message stating “every stranger who knocks at our door is an opportunity for an encounter with Jesus Christ. This solidarity must be concretely expressed at every stage of the migratory experience — from departure through journey to arrival and return." Pope Francis quickly became a voice of compassion for the world’s refugees, and he used his position of power to ensure they would have basic human rights.

Compassion in the Face of Tragedy

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With the amount of pain and suffering in the world, we can often times become desensitized to tragedies. Pope Francis asked that we reflect on our reactions when we read news about tragedies such as starving children, enslaved women and child soldiers. Are we moved by it or feel compelled to give? God had compassion for His broken people and was able to restore their dignity as children of God, or as Pope Francis says “recreating us all.” Pope Francis said that Christians must follow this example. When faced with tragedy we must work to help those in need by restoring their dignity, welcoming them into our community, and supporting them in any way we can.

Compassion in Family Life

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Pope Francis made a remarkable change in the church when he asked them to revamp its response to modern family life. Through a landmark papal document titled “Amoris Laetitia (Joy of Love)” he urged greater acceptance for divorced people and those in same-sex relationships, while being able to adhere to traditional church teachings. Francis’ biographer said the documents had the “potential to shape the church’s response to the family for generations to come”. Over more than 250 pages, Francis outlines a more compassionate vision for the church on family issues, urging priests to respond to their communities without rigidly enforcing church rules. “Each country or region, moreover, can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs,” he wrote.

Compassion For the Poor

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Pope Francis lived among the poorest of poor for a significant part of his life, and he urges us to have compassion for those without great economic means. He has said “The measure of greatness of a society is found in the way it treats those most in need, those who have nothing apart from their poverty.” Pope Francis has called on the world to care about the issue since the day he was elected pope. In Paraguay, the Pope visited the residents of a slum village and said they reminded him of the Holy Family: Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. He wants the church to remember that Jesus was born into poverty, lived with those who were poor, and was poor when He died.

Compassion is a Call to Action

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Pope Francis believes the Bible’s stories of compassion aren’t vague sentiments, but a calling for Christians to bring that same compassion to others. For example, the story of Jesus being able to miraculously feed thousands of people is only because Jesus made an act “of faith and prayer” that “shows the full strength of His will to be close to us and to save us.” In living as a Christian, we are called not “to remain passive and estranged” but to connect with others by offering “a concrete sign of Christ’s mercy and attention.” Not only is the Pope leading by example by showing compassion in his works, but by encouraging others to take action and do the same in the name of Jesus.