I’m not a catholic, but I feel deep sadness when I think about the passing of Pope Francis earlier this week. I don’t have to be catholic or even Christian or even a member of any faith to feel this pain. It is not a good time for the departure of such a good man. The world, especially during the current turmoil, needs steady and humane hands.
Pope Francis stood for everything we need in a leader right now. Like fairness and kindness and honesty and love and humility in feeding the poor and lifting up the most vulnerable. He did not want to be in the spotlight. He wanted to shine the spotlight on persons and issues that needed it most. When I think about his commitment to saving the planet, I think it is no coincidence that he left this earth only days before the celebration of Earth Day 2025.
What, you say, does this have to do with law and lawyers? A lot I think. Fairness (as in the imperative for due process), protecting the helpless (as in pro bono representation), honesty (as in ethical behavior), and kindness, as in the Pope’s oft-stated “Who am I to judge?” Yes, kindness. Lawyers need to be kind. It is one of the virtues that allow them to thrive in a very contentious and demanding profession.
Pope Francis was a Jesuit, and that also means a lot to me. My husband and I both are graduates of Jesuit law schools, and the teachings of the Jesuits imbued our educations there. Perhaps it had something to do with our choice of public service for parts of our careers. The “Four Cs” of Jesuit education are Competence, Conscience, Compassion, and Commitment. Since founding their first school in 1548, the Jesuits have believed that a high-quality education is a path to a meaningful life of leadership and service.
Leadership is key. Leading with the goal of benefiting others is an imperative for a stable and thriving nation and world. Leading without malice and with love is the path that most often has led to prosperity and peace.
In consideration of the kind of leadership demonstrated by the life of Pope Francis, so many citizens of the world are mourning this week and regretting that the current leadership of our beloved United States of America appears to have gone off the rails. Could there be a starker contrast between Pope Francis and those in American politics who call themselves “leaders” — who are content to let Rome burn while they play their precious violins? Who are content while aggressively hurting so many helpless people here and abroad — taking government jobs away without warning or process, endangering 401Ks and other investments to support retirement, targeting immigrants with deportation/imprisonment without due process, or threatening to see people die of AIDS by the millions in Africa rather than reaching out helping hands for a mere 12 cents a day per child, and imposing tariffs that threaten the economic security of countries across the globe. This is our current reality.
A similar reality was played out beautifully on stage last night as I enjoyed the Washington Ballet’s performance of Alice in Wonderland. It struck me that the Queen of Hearts, with her yen for absolute rule, fear, and the arbitrary nature of authority, is being played out as the King of Hearts in our country right now.
The arts so often speak the truth and are harbingers to dangerous outcomes. My comfort lies in having witnessed the other side of power, as exemplified by Pope Francis.
May he rest in peace.
