By T.S. Flanders
OnePeterFive
April 24, 2025
A few months ago I asked my spiritual father the following question. This is a questioned that has burned in me for years since I took over the editorship of OnePeterFive. It is a question that has troubled by conscience and caused me to lose a great deal of sleep. Here's the question:
How do I criticise Pope Francis and not fall into the sin of pride? How do I tell the truth without provoking anyone to harden their hearts against our Holy Father?
My spiritual father responded with this wisdom:
In order to avoid the sin of pride, we must imagine that Pope Francis will one day die a Christian death and attain a higher place in heaven than you.
And so, as an act of humility and love for the Holy Father let us imagine a fictional scene:
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It was Easter Sunday at 9:00pm, Rome time. The Holy Father was sleeping in his bed with his doctor at his side. The Pope's confessor was present, with Cardinals Parolin and Farrell.
The doctor stood up from his bed and looked at them. He shook his head, then paused.
"There's no way he'll live to the morning."
Everyone in the room was silent at this grave news. Some looked up to the heavens, praying for his soul. Others looked down to the floor, thinking about the next conclave.
Suddenly a cry tore through the silence: "MAAARRY!!" Everyone turned to see Pope Francis bolt upright in his bed with hands raised to the statue of the Madonna at the end of the room.
"Mary...." He said again, softly.
Tears were streaming down his face. After a pregnant pause, everyone in the room rushed to his bedside. The Pope buried his face in his hands as copious tears filled them. He kept repeating the Holy Name of Mary then suddenly turned forcefully to his confessor: "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned..."
Everyone was stunned for a moment, and began to back away, realizing what he was asking for. "Stop!" the Pope almost shouted. "Let he who has an ear to hear...." He sighed. "Let him hear."
Then he turned pleadingly to his confessor, who stood there, dumbfounded. The confessor stammered, "Uh..." and looked at the others, who shrugged at him. The priest composed himself and said the words: "In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti, amen. The Lord be in your heart and mind that you may worthily confessor your sins."
"It has been one month since my last confession..."
Everyone gasped suddenly, but the Holy Father continued, naming this sin and that sin, conceding a great deal to his critics, forgiving his enemies, repenting for personal sins that no one knew about, with tears streaming down his face the whole time [here let the reader imagine the Holy Father confessing all the sins that you accuse him of, and then some].
When he had finished, his tears finally stopped. Everyone was silent. The Holy Father finally opened his eyes and looked to his confessor. The old priest took a deep breath and gave him his penance. The Holy Father made his act of contrition and began to pray, and the priest continued until the Last Rites were completed.
After this the Pope fell asleep. Nurses attended him throughout the night. At 7:30am his heart stopped beating. The nurse called the doctor who confirmed the time of death and informed Cardinal Farrell.
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What are you doing, Flanders? Canonising Pope Francis?
No. I'm trying to avoid my own sin, which is hardening my heart against my father, or provoking others to do the same. This will help me to try my best to deal piously and mercifully with the death of Pope Francis. I'm trying to follow my own spiritual father's direction for my own sake, and perhaps it might help someone else too.
I remember the wisdom from the desert fathers, which is similar in this case:
Look around you at all the people and say: "All of these people will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and I alone will not. Remember me, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom."
I think it is wise to consider this in the case of the Holy Father.
There are many more things to say and discuss in the coming weeks, but this is the most important thing: let us give Pope Francis the spiritual work of mercy and pray for his soul, and let us do all we can to respect the dead and act with charity, truth and humility.
Through the prayers of all Holy Pontiffs, may the Risen Lord grant to Pope Francis and all the faithful His bountiful mercy.
All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things will be well.
This originally appeared on OnePeterFive.