Official Vatican document on the life of Francis published

A document that was placed in Pope Francis' coffin is intended to provide posterity with information about the person and key deeds and characteristics of the deceased. The Vatican published the wording on Friday evening. The Catholic News Agency (KNA) documents extracts from the Latin letter, the so-called Rogitum, in its own translation:

Excerpts of the Rogitum in the wording

"With us on the way as pilgrims of hope, as guides and companions to the high goal to which we are called, heaven, on 21 April of the Holy Year 2025 at 7.35 a.m., while the light of Easter illuminated the second day of the Octave, Easter Monday, Francis, the beloved shepherd of the Church, departed from this world to the Father. All believers in Christ, especially the poor, praised God for the gift of his ministry, which he carried out with courage and fidelity to the Gospel and to the mystical Bride of Christ.

Francis was the 266th Pope. His memory remains in the heart of the Church and of all humanity. (...)

On 20 May 1992, John Paul II appointed him Titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires. He chose "Miserando atque eligendo" as his episcopal motto and added the Christ monogram IHS, the symbol of the Society of Jesus, to his coat of arms. On 3 June 1997, he was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Buenos Aires, and after the death of Cardinal [Antonio] Quarracino, he succeeded him as archbishop on 28 February 1998 (...).

He was a simple and much-loved pastor in his archdiocese, who travelled far and wide, including by metro and bus. He lived in a flat and prepared his own food because he felt he was one of the people.

Following the resignation of Benedict XVI, he was elected Pope on 13 March 2013 by the cardinals gathered in conclave and took the name Francis because he wanted to take care of the world's poorest, following the example of the Saint of Assisi. From the Benediction Loggia, he introduced himself with the words: "Brothers and sisters, good evening! And now let us begin this journey: Bishop and people. This path of the Church of Rome, which presides over all the Churches in charity. A path of fraternity, of love, of trust between us." And after bowing his head, he said: "I ask you to ask the Lord to bless me: the prayer of the people asking for a blessing for their bishop." (...)

Francis, who always had an open ear for the poorest and the outcasts of society, decided immediately after his election to live in the "Domus Sanctae Marthae" because he could not do without contact with people, and from the first Holy Thursday he wanted to celebrate the Mass of the Last Supper outside the Vatican, visiting prisons, centres for the disabled or drug addicts every time. He counselled priests to always be ready to administer the sacrament of mercy, to have the courage to leave the sacristies in search of the lost sheep, and to keep the doors of the Church open to welcome all those who long to encounter the face of God the Father.

He exercised his Petrine ministry with tireless commitment to dialogue with Muslims and representatives of other religions (...).

More than any of his predecessors, he enlarged the College of Cardinals and convened ten consistories in which he appointed 163 cardinals, including 133 papal electors and 30 non-electors, from 73 nations, 23 of which had never had a cardinal before. (...)

Time and again, he raised his voice in defence of the innocent. As the Covid pandemic spread, on the evening of 27 March 2020, he wanted to pray alone in St Peter's Square, whose colonnade symbolically embraced Rome and the world, for humanity, frightened and wounded by the unknown disease. The last years of his pontificate were characterised by numerous appeals for peace and against the "Third World War in instalments" raging in various countries, especially in Ukraine, but also in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon and Myanmar. (...)

The magisterium of Pope Francis was very rich. Witness to a sober and modest style, based on openness to a missionary attitude, apostolic courage and mercy, careful to avoid the danger of self-referentiality and spiritual secularisation in the Church, the Pope presented his proclamation programme in the exhortation "Evangelii gaudium" (24 November 2013). The most important documents include four encyclicals: "Lumen fidei" (29 June 2013) on faith in God, "Laudato si" (24 May 2015) on the issue of ecology and the responsibility of humanity in the climate crisis, "Fratelli tutti" (3 October 2020) on human fraternity and social friendship, "Dilexit nos" (24 October 2024) on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (...)

He changed the canonical procedure for declaring a marriage null and void in the CCEO [Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium, Code of the Eastern Catholic Churches] and CIC [Codex Iuris Canonici, Code of Canon Law] (Motu Proprio "Mitis et misericors Iesus" and "Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus") and tightened legislation regarding crimes committed by clerics against minors or vulnerable persons (Motu Proprio "Vos estis lux mundi").

Francis left everyone an admirable testimony of humanity, holy living and comprehensive paternity." (KNA)