Lead Editor - Newsgathering
ryan.bachoo@cnc3.co.tt
Archbishop of Port-of-Spain Jason Gordon recalled an Antilles Episcopal Conference (AEC) meeting in 2018 attended by Pope Francis where one of the bishops asked the pontiff: “Everywhere you turn people are criticising you. How do you cope with that?”
After a long pause with a smile, the Pope responded, “I don’t read it and I don’t listen to it and that’s how I remain sane.”
In an era dominated by the noise of social media and the internet, Gordon reflected on how the late pontiff chose to remain “in the quiet of his soul rather than the visibility of the public.”
T&T woke up to the news yesterday morning that the head of the Roman Catholic Church had died at the age of 88. The Vatican confirmed the pontiff died at 7.35 am Rome time. He had recently been discharged from hospital after weeks of treatment for an infection.
Gordon, who Francis installed as head of the Archdiocese of Port-of-Spain in December 2017, said initially he thought it was fake news. Francis was a Pope of many firsts. He was elected Pope on March 13, 2013, becoming the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He took the name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi.
He was also the first Jesuit Pope.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was ordained a priest in 1969, was made a bishop in 1992 by Pope John Paul II and was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 1995.
His humility was a breath of fresh air for the world. He took public transport as a cardinal rather than private cars and as Pope he stayed at Casa Santa Marta, a guesthouse near St Peter’s Basilica instead of the traditional papal apartments at the Apostolic Palace.
In an interview with Guardian Media yesterday, Gordon said: “What really remains in my heart is that this man has given everything he has to the church as Pope, as cardinal, as bishop, as Jesuit, superior before that.
“He’s always been resilient and relentless as the thing that he sees most important and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The archbishop recalled another interaction he had with the Pop.
“One time in the synod I went up to him and said, “Holy Father, would you send a message to the people of the Caribbean?” He looks down at my name tag, he forgets about the Caribbean and he says “Trinidad and Tobago, God bless you, I bless you… Pray for me and I will pray for you.” That was his tagline. Humility. Just in that little exchange, you see his closeness to his people.”
Though his pontificate would impact almost every corner of the world, Pope Francis’ impact on T&T was far-reaching. He made this country a leader among Caribbean Catholic churches. He raised the ranks of priests to bishops to oversee more than one diocese.
Gordon, who was ordained as a bishop under the late Pope Benedict XVI, was moved from the diocese of Bridgetown to Port-of-Spain. As recently as January, Francis appointed him Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Willemstad in Curacao. An Apostolic Administrator is a bishop appointed by the Holy Father to see to the good order and administration of a diocese that is awaiting the appointment of a permanent bishop.
Bishop Robert Llanos was ordained under Francis’ instructions. He now heads the Saint John’s-Basseterre, Virgin Islands (British) and Antilles dioceses. Bishop Clyde Harvey oversees Grenada and the Antilles and was ordained a bishop during Francis’ tenure.
Roman Catholic Vicar General Father Martin Sirju, who met the Pope last year, recounted his meeting in the halls of the Vatican: “I met him briefly in Rome in January 2024. Just for about ten seconds. He was in his wheelchair; I shook his hand and said where I was from. His simplicity, his smile, his felt holiness. I needed nothing more.
“May his dream of a Synodal Church become alive and active and may he enjoy eternal life and glory.”
Sirju said Pope Francis exuded humility in his personal and pontificate life.
He added: “Pope Francis showed the world early his pastor’s heart when asked by a journalist of a popular Catholic magazine, “Who is Jorge Bergoglio?” He answered simply, “Jorge Bergoglio is a sinner.” No Pope, bishop or priest ever answered like that.”
The Vicar General said not only Catholics but the entire world is in mourning and there are early signs that Francis had revolutionised the centuries-old institution.
“His chosen name Francis meant a storm was coming, just like his namesake of the 12th century. He turned things upside down, departing from traditions to reveal the more authentic tradition of mercy, inclusivity, openness and joy. I will miss him dearly but will not mourn his passing for long. Why should I? He was a saint,” he said
It’s a point Gordon also touched on when he spoke about the impact Francis’ pontificate had on him as an archbishop.
“I would say what I lost in his passing is a voice of conscience. What I have lost in his passing is a spiritual father. What I have lost in his passing is a mentor and a guide.”
Gordon said Pope Francis’ tireless advocacy for migrants around the world helped him deal with the influx of Venezuelan migrants into T&T.
He praised Pope Francis for starting the reformation of the Catholic Church through the ongoing synod, though he said he was “caught by complete surprise” when the Pope called the synod in 2021.
“You know how you update your IOS or your OS in whatever phone you are using or your computer? He updated the OS of the church. The operating system of the church, and said it’s not political, it’s not about the loudest mouth, it’s about us discerning together what the Holy Spirit is inviting the church to do,” he said.
He recalled how every time he saw him, “he had a big smile.”
Archbishop Gordon said Francis has left behind many lessons for the people of the Caribbean to live by, none more so than humility and the joy of the gospel.
