Ahead of Rome Trip for Conclave, South Africa's Cardinal Recalls Pope Francis’ Impact on All, “not just” on Catholics

“He knew that he was the servant of God and even though he gained much public acclaim, this was not important to him. In fact, he was weary of flattery and praise-singers. His motivation was to serve God and God’s kingdom. And he knew he could not do that without serving the needs of people, especially the poorest, the vulnerable and those most neglected,” Cardinal Brislin said.

He acknowledged with appreciation the impact Pope Francis had on all and recognizing the presence of people of other faiths including political leaders during the Requiem Mass, the South African Cardinal said, “We truly appreciate the presence of all of you. Pope Francis belonged to all of us and not just the Catholic Church.”

Stephen Cardinal Brislin of the Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg in South Africa, during the Memorial Mass in honor of Pope Francis on 23 April 2025. Credit: Kati Dijane in South Africa

Recalling the Holy Father’s symbolic first visit outside the Vatican to the island of Lampedusa, the Cardinal reflected on Francis’s lifelong concern for refugees, migrants, and the marginalized. “His challenge to all countries to welcome, promote, accompany, and integrate refugees has been the theme of his entire legacy since 1934,” he said.

“Sadly, there remains a great deal of discrimination against migrants,” Cardinal Brislin lamented, adding that refugees continue to receive harsh treatment in many places and are easily made into the scapegoats for all the ills and woes of different countries and communities.

The Local Ordinary of Johannesburg, who also serves as President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) recalled that Pope Francis frequently spoke of the needs of the marginalised, those who he said were at the peripheries of society.

Stephen Cardinal Brislin of the Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg in South Africa, during the Memorial Mass in honor of Pope Francis on 23 April 2025. Credit: Kati Dijane in South Africa

The Holy Father’s call, the Cardinal recalled, was to recognize the humanity of every person, and not to judge or discriminate against others because of their appearances or because of the struggles that they might be going through. 

According to Cardinal Brislin, Pope Francis’ willingness to confront “thorny and controversial issues led some to distrust him and they feared that he would be changing the doctrines and teachings of the Church.”

Johannesburg’s Catholic community, as well as that of other denominations gathered in the Cathedral of Christ the King on Wednesday, 23 April 2025, to honour the life and legacy of Pope Francis. Credit: Kati Dijane in South Africa

He emphasized Pope Francis’s moral courage, even amid harsh criticism, much of it from within the Church, saying, “Pope Francis was probably the Pope who received the most abuse in the modern era. Sadly, very often, within the Catholic church rather than outside. He was denigrated by some, told that he was a heretic or a populist and called names that are not worth mentioning. But that never deterred him.”

According to the Cardinal, the Holy Father continued to teach in words that everyone could understand and which touch the hearts of those who listened. “Despite the negativity, he remained always a person of joy within himself and joy he shared with others,” Cardinal Brislin said.

Sisters from various religious orders came in their numbers to celebrate the Memorial Mass of Pope Francis on Wednesday, 23 April 2025, at the Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg. Credit: Kati Dijane in South Africa

He pointed out that one of the one of the reasons for criticism was the Multi-year Synod on Synodality.  “Some felt that this was a departure from the structures of the Catholic Church and an abdication of leadership. Critics neglected to acknowlege the need to listen to others, most especially to the quiet voices, of the little people,” the 68-year-old South African Cardinal, who started his Episcopal Ministry in January 2007 as Bishop of South Africa’s Kroonstad Catholic Diocese said.

He said the Holy Father’s courage saw him through the “negativity, including that of nations and government who rejected his message of peace, his denunciation of war and conflict, his appeal for dialogue and peace.”

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Cardinal Brislin also lauded Pope Francis’s affection for Africa, calling it one of the hallmarks of his papacy. “Neither was he afraid to promote the care of our common home and the protection of the environment. His voice was an encouragement to many and a nuisance to some,” he said.

Credit: Kati Dijane in South Africa

“There are so many things to be said about Pope Francis, including his great love for Africa, the visits he made, especially to some of the poorest countries of Africa and war-torn countries in conflict,” he said.

Thousands of pilgrims continue to pay homage to Pope Francis, whose coffin lies in St. Peter’s Basilica, where it will remain for three days of public viewing.

The funeral Mass for the late Holy Father has been scheduled for Saturday, April 26, in St. Peter’s Square. He is to be laid to rest at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, as he explained in his testament.

Stephen Cardinal Brislin of the Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg in South Africa, during the Memorial Mass in honor of Pope Francis on 23 April 2025. Credit: Kati Dijane in South Africa

In a media briefing following the April 23 Eucharistic celebration, Cardinal Brislin said, “We are deeply grateful to God for giving us such a strong, deeply spiritual leader, a man rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, grounded in the Gospel.”

He noted that the Holy Father’s death “came a day after he once again turned to the world to seek peace, a fitting final public message for a man whose papacy was defined by his tireless call to return to our humanity.”

Some political leaders attended the Memorial Mass that took place at the Catholic Cathedral of Christ the King in the Archdiocese of Johannesburg on Wednesday, 23 April 2025. They included ANC spokesperson Mahlengi. Credit: Kati Dijane in South Africa

Meanwhile, the National Spokesperson of the African National Congress (ANC) has described Pope Francis as “a global icon of truth and servant leadership.

Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri noted that the Pope committed himself to lifting up the challenges facing Africa, fighting for the rights of refugee communities all over the world and calling for an end to conflict in the world. “These things leave behind a template for how to do things right, whether political or church leaders and as ordinary members,” she said. 

Kati Dijane in South Africa contributed to this story