The passing of Pope Francis

The passing of Pope Francis on 21 April 2025 marks the end of an incredible legacy.

Pope Francis’ time as leader of the Catholic church was striking for his humility, compassion, commitment to the poor, and leadership on international concerns. His encyclicals advocated for care and generosity, for our fellow citizens, for our environment, and for the common good. He travelled to some of the most troubled spaces on the planet, including a ground-breaking visit to Canada to issue a long-awaited papal apology to Indigenous peoples on Canadian soil.

As Dr. Turcotte, President of Corpus Christi College and Principal of St. Mark’s College wrote: “No Pope leaves the world unchanged, but there can be little doubt that Pope Francis has approached the papacy in a unique way. What he wouldn’t accept is complacency. He was not content with convention for the sake of the past. Rather, like Christ himself, he asked us to change for the better, to eschew self-interest for the common good, and to celebrate our common humanity. Indeed, he reminded us that there’s nothing common about it at all.”

As a Jesuit affiliated institution, Corpus Christi College and St. Mark’s College embraced the call from Pope Francis, a Jesuit, to lead by example. He provided a continual call to place people at the centre of the educational process. As he wrote, “God is present in others, especially in the poor and the marginalized. This is true education, accompanying young people to discover, in service to others and in academic rigor, the building up of the common good” (address to the International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education, May 2024). The example set by Pope Francis will continue to inspire our mission to prepare students to be reflective leaders who service society with integrity and compassion.

Corpus Christi College and St. Mark’s extend our prayers for the soul of the blessed holy father. We are immensely grateful for his years of insightful leadership of the Church. May he rest in eternal peace.