Pope Francis, the Bishop of Rome and spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, passed away on April 21st, Easter Monday, from a stroke and heart failure. Earlier, he had been in the hospital for pneumonia. He was 88 years old. For 12 years he was Pope, and he made all those years count.

He was a Pope of the people. In his ministry he reached out to the marginalized, the immigrant, the LGBTQ community and was deeply concerned about issues of the environment and climate. Peace in Ukraine and Gaza were always on his heart and mind. He was more pastoral than some of his predecessors.

Francis, who was from Argentina, was the first Latin-America Pope ever. His life was about service and being humble. In his time at the Vatican, he lived frugally and without the bells and whistles of his office. Was he perfect, no.

He worked hard and practiced the command to love thy neighbors, and he made strides in bringing people of all walks of life together. I liked that he wanted to build bridges, not walls. He seemed to believe in building a bigger tent and to show mercy. He visited prisons, washed feet, and emulated Jesus Christ as best as he could.

His faith practice was at odds with some in the Catholic Church, but he was all about making the world a better place, no matter what his critics would say. All I can say is well done, good and faithful servant. Rest in power. You will be missed.