On a somber yet hope-filled morning during the octave of Easter, Fr. James Kubicki, SJ, joined John Morales on Morning Air to reflect on the life and legacy of Pope Francis.

Fr. Kubicki, a long-time Relevant Radio contributor and spiritual director at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee, offered a deeply personal and Jesuit perspective. “There are no coincidences,” he said, noting the providential timing of Pope Francis’ death during the Easter octave, a season of hope and resurrection. “It seems only fitting,” he added, “that the first Jesuit pope, who called for a Jubilee Year of Hope, would be called home during this sacred time.”

Reflecting on the day of Pope Francis’ election in 2013, Fr. Kubicki recalled the surprise of having a Jesuit chosen as pope, an unprecedented moment in Church history. From his humility on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica: asking the faithful to pray for him before offering his papal blessing... to his tireless commitment to the poor and marginalized, Pope Francis embodied the Jesuit ideal of “contemplation in action.”

Fr. Kubicki also brought up the Pope’s deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, particularly his visits to the Basilica of St. Mary Major before and after each apostolic journey. It is at that very basilica, fittingly, where Pope Francis asked to be laid to rest.

As Fr. Kubicki noted, “Pope Francis kept his eyes fixed on Jesus and walked with Him to the frontiers of the world.” Now, the Church prays that he may rest in the eternal peace of the Lord he served so faithfully.