Pope Leo XIV honored his predecessor Pope Francis during the one-year mark of his passing while aboard the papal aircraft traveling from Angola to Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday, highlighting Francis’ commitment to mercy and support for marginalized communities.
“We thank the Lord for the great gift of the life of Francis, to the church and the world,” Leo said.
The American pontiff spoke in Italian to journalists during his four-country African tour, reflecting on Francis’ legacy and ministry.
Francis passed away at age 88 on Easter Monday of last year following a stroke. He had been recuperating at the Vatican after spending five weeks hospitalized with double pneumonia, though he managed one final public appearance driving through St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile during Easter celebrations.
His passing triggered the papal conclave that selected Leo several weeks afterward. New revelations suggest Francis had deliberately positioned the former missionary priest Robert Prevost, describing him as “a saint,” for potential succession.
During his remembrance, Leo specifically referenced Francis’ most impactful sermons and messages, noting how he “gave so much to the church with his life, with his witness, with his word and with his gestures.”
“So many times what he did was live truly being close to the poorest, the smallest, the sick, children, the elderly,” he said.
Leo highlighted Francis’ advocacy for human brotherhood and “authentic respect” among all peoples, along with the special Holy Year declared in 2015 focusing on divine mercy and forgiveness. Francis notably launched that year in the Central African Republic, over which Leo’s plane was flying during his tribute.
The current pope remembered Francis’ initial Sunday prayer as pontiff and a Mass celebrated before his official inauguration, where he preached about an unfaithful woman “and how he spoke from the heart of the mercy of God.”
“Let us pray that he is still enjoying the mercy of the Lord,” Leo said.
Rome hosted various memorial events for the anniversary, including publication of commemorative volumes about Francis and his legacy, plus an evening Mass at St. Mary Major basilica where Francis rests.
Among the memorial publications, one by Salvatore Cernuzio provides unique insight into how Francis viewed his eventual successor.
Cernuzio, a Vatican Media journalist who developed a personal friendship with Francis and frequently accompanied him on travels, authored “Padre” (Father), revealing private conversations from visits to Francis’ Santa Marta residence.
“Him? He’s a saint,” Francis told Cernuzio regarding then-Cardinal Robert Prevost, whom Francis had brought to Rome in 2023 to lead the Vatican’s bishop selection department.
Francis made this assessment in 2023 after announcing Prevost’s inclusion among new cardinals, strengthening speculation that Francis envisioned Prevost as a potential successor.
According to Cernuzio, when Francis called someone a saint, he typically meant “to describe people who are able to handle conflicts, tensions, and complex situations with composure, and who are able to foster a sense of community.”
Evidence supporting Francis’ strategic planning for Prevost’s election appears substantial, given Francis’ early attention to Prevost and admiration for his two-decade missionary work in Peru.
Following Prevost’s completion of his second term leading the Order of St. Augustine, Francis appointed him in 2014 as bishop of the challenging Chiclayo diocese in Peru, where he advanced through leadership positions within Peru’s bishops conference.
Francis subsequently promoted Prevost to head the crucial Vatican position as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, providing essential Vatican administrative experience and connections with cardinals who would eventually select Francis’ replacement.
This background made Prevost a credible candidate for papal election, overcoming the traditional obstacle of his American nationality. The church had historically avoided selecting a U.S. pope due to America’s existing geopolitical influence.
The two men, who developed a close friendship, first met when Prevost served as Augustinian prior general while the future Pope Francis was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires.
Prevost has shared that Bergoglio once sought to assign an Augustinian priest to a particular position in his archdiocese.
“And I, as prior general, said ‘I understand, Your Eminence, but he’s got to do something else’ and so I transferred him somewhere else,” Prevost told parishioners in his native Illinois in 2024.
Prevost admitted he “naively” assumed Francis wouldn’t remember him after becoming pope in 2013, thinking “he’ll never appoint me bishop” because of their earlier disagreement.
Instead, Bergoglio not only appointed him bishop but established the foundation for Prevost to become his successor.
