The Vatican and the Catholic Church conclude the nine-day of mourning marking the passing away of Pope Francis effective the funeral day until Sunday, May 4. Yet, the end of mourning does not mean the end of Pope Francis' legacy, as the Church starts to reflect on the legacy he left behind and the things he taught as teaching is the fundamental characteristic of a bishop in general, and of a pope in particular.
Going through historical events over the past years, one realizes that wars or rather waves of violence never came to an end, though they occasionally seem to intermittently cease. Yet, what is evident is that wars come to end only after initiating dialogue leading to peace deals.
With nonpareil gestures, the world bid farewell to His Holiness Pope Francis who lived on Earth for 89 years, 12 of which he spent as head the Catholic Church, as well as head of the Vatican and the Holy See.
In early October 2023 Pandora's Box opened in the Middle East wreaking havoc in several countries, while its devastating flames have so far not been quenched. The flames of the conflagration have turned the hopes of peoples into ashes, while hopes for a better future for these peoples of the region have been waning or rather dwindling to an unrecognizable level. It is really a desperate situation for the people of the Gaza Strip who have been striving to attain a dignified life whose basic need to urgently be met.
An atmosphere of jubilation prevailed among Christians worldwide on Sunday, April 20, marking the Feast of the Resurrection of Lord Jesus which reminded the believers that with Lord Jesus rising from the dead, death is no longer invincible as Lord Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life, and anyone who believing Me will live even after dying." (John 11: 25)
The month of May marks the 11th anniversary of the visit of the late Pope Francis to our Jordanian holy land that was on the first leg of his pilgrimage to the Holy Sites, which is reminiscent the 50th anniversary of the visit of Pope Paul VI.
The Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan conveys condolences on the passing away of Pope Francis, the 266th successor of St. Peter, the head of the Catholic Church and the bishop of Rome. The CCSM, in a statement issued by its Director Fr. Dr. Rif'at Bader, recalls the abounding benevolence conveyed by Pope Francis during his service and leadership of St. Peter's ship.
It is no coincidence that Pope Francis departed this life the day after the noble Feast of the Resurrection (Easter). The stand he has made represented the recommendations and the wishes he wanted to fulfill before his passing away, as if he were forwarding them to his successor. In his Easter homily and the blessing he conveyed to the city of Rome and to the world, he spoke of his pain not just physical pain, but rather moral pain. It implies that there are issues that continue to plague humanity, most importantly war, violence, and the killing of human beings by others.
On Sunday March 13, Christians worldwide mark Palm Sunday. This day is quite reflective on an important event as reported in the Holy Bible which states that, “The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (John: 12: 12-13)
With the advent of spring, Christians annually mark the Feast of the Resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ from the dead (commonly known as Easter). Despite the fact that this divine event took place over 2,000 years ago, it is still celebrated as it marked a turning point in the life of humanity all the time.
