Twelve years have passed since Pope Francis stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on that cool March evening in 2013. But few could have imagined then how this papacy would shape the Church and the world in the years that followed. Today, we celebrate Pope Francis’ 12th anniversary as Bishop of Rome and Successor of Peter, a fisherman’s sandals worn down by walking roads less travelled, roads that have led the Church into the heart of the world’s joys and sufferings. Father Joseba Kamiruaga Mieza, CMF, reflects on the twelve years of the papacy of Pope Francis.
Pope Francis has often said, “I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and clinging to its own security” [Evangelii Gaudium, 49]. He invites the Church to cast off the fear that leaves us tethered safely in the harbour and instead to set sail into open waters, where the storms of human suffering rage and the deep currents of mercy and hope can be found.
As we mark this anniversary, his vision calls to mind the words of Jacques Brel’s poem about boats that never leave the port for fear of the sea. Boats that rust at anchor were never built for safety, but for sailing. And so it is with the Church.
A Church on the move
Pope Francis’ Church is “a Church on the move,” as he so often says. Like the first disciples, called on the shores of Galilee and sent out “on the road,” ours is a Church that finds its identity not in standing still but in setting out. The Holy Father reminds us that the very DNA of the Christian vocation is pilgrimage and mission, not comfort and security. We are not called to be “keepers of a museum,” as he once put it, but bearers of Good News for the world.
The Bible itself is a story of people always on the move. From Abraham, the “wandering Aramean,” to the journey of the people of Israel through the desert, to Jesus and his followers walking dusty roads through towns and villages, the narrative is one of movement toward the promise of new life. The early Christians were even called “those of the Way” [Acts 9:2]. Ours is a pilgrim Church, journeying toward a horizon we cannot yet see but believe in by faith.
Put out into the deep
Pope Francis frequently echoes Jesus’ invitation to Peter: “Put out into the deep.” The little fishing boats on the Sea of Galilee were never meant to stay tied to the docks. Likewise, the Church is not meant to remain safe on the shore but to venture out, knowing that storms will come, but trusting in the One who calms the seas.
For Pope Francis, missionary discipleship means more than mere outreach. It means a willingness to sail into uncertain waters, to take risks, to be vulnerable in the name of love. His Church is not concerned with triumphalism or counting successes but with standing beside humanity in its messiness, offering the balm of mercy and the joy of the Gospel.
This vision is far from theoretical. In his 12 years as Pope, Francis has embodied this call in concrete ways. Whether by washing the feet of prisoners and migrants on Holy Thursday, visiting war zones and refugee camps, or speaking out on behalf of our common home in Laudato Si’, he reminds us that the Church is meant to sail to the margins, where Christ himself awaits us.
A Church of mercy, not judgment
Pope Francis dreams of a Church that heals wounds and warms hearts, not one obsessed with rules or self-preservation. He often refers to the Church as a “field hospital after battle,” tending to the wounded first before worrying about policies or regulations. In Evangelii Gaudium, he calls for a Church that “never closes herself off” but instead seeks “a new imagination of the possible.”
He calls us to leave behind an authoritarianism rooted in dogma and to embrace an authority grounded in mercy. The world, he says, does not need more judges but more Good Samaritans, who do not pass by on the other side but stop, stoop down, and offer healing.
Pope Francis embodies this pastoral vision in his outreach to divorced and remarried Catholics, to the LGBTQ+ community, to migrants and refugees, to prisoners, and to those living in poverty and abandonment. He sees each person first as a beloved child of God, carrying within them the seeds of holiness, waiting to be awakened by love.
Pope Francis frequently echoes Jesus’ invitation to Peter: ‘Put out into the deep.’ The little fishing boats on the Sea of Galilee were never meant to stay tied to the docks. Likewise, the Church is not meant to remain safe on the shore but to venture out, knowing that storms will come, but trusting in the One who calms the seas
A dreaming Church, on mission
Pope Francis dreams of a missionary Church, a Church that does not look inward but outward, seeking to serve humanity, culture, creation, and future generations. In this vision, the Church is not a fortress to defend but a home with doors wide open, where all are welcomed and embraced.
He calls for a Church that shines not for its own sake, but to reveal the beauty of others—like light that caresses and makes things glow or salt that flavours and preserves. This is a Church of accompaniment, walking beside people in their struggles and joys, rather than dictating from afar.
As he leads the global synodal process, Pope Francis invites the entire Church to walk together, to listen deeply, and to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. It is a call to conversion, not of doctrine but of heart, to become a Church ever more faithful to its mission of love.
As we celebrate 12 years of his pontificate, we give thanks for Pope Francis’ courage, humility, and pastoral heart
He goes before us
As we look back on these 12 years, we see a pope who goes before us, like Jesus leading his disciples to Bethany. He walks ahead, opening new paths, even when the destination seems uncertain or painful. Like the Risen Lord, who went ahead to Galilee, Pope Francis shows us that God is always ahead of us—already present in the streets, in the margins, in the places where we least expect him.
We follow a migratory God, Pope Francis tells us, who prefers open spaces to closed rooms. The Holy Spirit blows where it wills, opening doors and breaking down walls. This pontificate has been a testament to openness, encounter, and dialogue. The pope continually invites us to be surprised by grace, to trust that the Spirit is leading us forward into new and uncharted waters.
A shepherd of hope and love
As we celebrate 12 years of his pontificate, we give thanks for Pope Francis’ courage, humility, and pastoral heart. Like Peter on the shores of Galilee, he has heard Jesus ask, “Do you love me?” And with his life, the pope has answered, “Yes, Lord, I love you.” He shows that love not by standing still but by feeding the sheep, tending to their wounds, and strengthening their faith, hope, and love.
Pope Francis once said, “I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy of God.” That simple, profound humility has marked his papacy. And it is an invitation to us all: to walk together as pilgrims of hope, to dream of a Church that lives the Gospel not as a rulebook, but as a love letter to the world.
On this anniversary, we say: Congratulations, Pope Francis! Thank you for walking with us in the sandals of the fisherman, following the One who calls us always to deeper waters and wider horizons.
