The previous several days of the life of Pope Francis were a testament to his entire time on Earth, Father Patrick Flanagan told Newsmax on Monday.
Flanagan, who chairs the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John's University in New York, told "National Report" that "this past four or five days has really been a testament to his whole life."
He explained that "on Holy Thursday we saw [Pope Francis] go to the prison and be present to those people on the margins, those people on the peripheries, those people on the edges who are so central to his life."
Flanagan continued that "over the weekend [Francis] met with Vice President [J.D.] Vance. He placed himself in his role as not only as the pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church but also as the leader of the Vatican city state. He saw himself as being someone who walked with other people, who were struggling with other people to bring about a common good of justice and peace."
Flanagan concluded that on Easter Sunday, Francis came out and spoke, using all the energy he had. "He then took the final tour of the Vatican Square and you could see him come alive, because it was where he belonged; he belonged pressing the flesh and being engaged with the people."
Flanagan added that the legacy of Francis "is going to be pretty remarkable in so many respects." One such legacy is "being close to the people and being in solidarity with them," especially those in the poorest parts of the world.
The Roman Cathodic Church is neither for unbridled capitalism nor socialism, sitting somewhere in between, Flanagan said.
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Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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