Remembering Pope Francis: Legacy leaves lasting lessons for Loyola

With a papacy defined by the same values that drive Loyola University Chicago’s mission, it’s no surprise that the first Jesuit pope built a cherished connection with Loyola. From direct meetings with Loyola students and staff, to wisdom that drove worldwide initiatives, Pope Francis’s legacy will continue to live on through the Loyola community.  

Pope Francis emphasized synodality—a participatory, listening-centered approach to Church governance. Through the Synod on Synodality in 2021–2024 he sought to lead the Church to inclusive dialogue among clergy, laity, and marginalized groups. Francis saw higher education as a way to convene those people and those conversations across the globe. 

“As the Loyola University Chicago community mourns Pope Francis, we feel immense gratitude for the wisdom he shared with us,” said Loyola President Mark C. Reed. “He had a special affinity for young people, and through generous interactions with our faculty and students, he encouraged all of us to engage with the world. He exemplified the ways our Jesuit educational mission melds expertise with compassion in service to others. He exemplified the notion of accompanying new generations into a hope-filled future.” 

Building Bridges 

Inspired by Pope Francis’s call for shared discernment, Loyola launched the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a student-centered and university-organized series of events. Through this Initiative, BBI facilitates the creation of student groups across large geographic regions, accompanying those students as they engage in listening, dialogue, and discernment.  

“Pope Francis, from the beginning of his pontificate, has called for building bridges,” said Emilce Cuda, an official of the Roman Curia as Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and Loyola adjunct assistant professor. “Thanks to Loyola, he was able to make this dream a reality, being himself, together with students from all continents, the builder of a bridge that will allow us to cross from one era to another, in the light of his teaching. Francis not only opened the doors to the students of Loyola, but also to its professors and its presidency, receiving them in the Apostolic Palace as a sign of the trust he placed in them, sealing with them a commitment that will cross generations.” 

Student representatives of those groups took part in virtual gatherings with Pope Francis in February 2022, September 2023, and June 2024, during which they discussed their group’s experiences and hopes directly with the Pope.  

“The goal [of the BBI] is to encourage students to engage and tackle difficult, complex challenges precisely from their majors,” said Michael Murphy, director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage. “The added level is to do this in the Catholic intellectual and social traditions—a unique tradition that is holistic in that it blends faith, reason, and justice. Students were inspired to see their education as more meaningful—that they have purpose and are needed to serve humanity with their gifts and hard work.” 

Diligent dreamers 

Last year, Loyola leadership had the privilege of gathering with and learning from His Holiness during a May 2024 Ignatian pilgrimage to the Vatican.  

“It was a powerful and inspiring experience for us all, to be in the Vatican and in the same room as the Holy Father,” Reed recalled. “He encouraged us to be ‘witnesses to hope,’ and he commended to us interreligious and intercultural dialogue to foster mutual understanding. We were riveted by his words delivered in Italian and English. You could hear a pin drop as he spoke of the ways education can build bridges between traditions, cultures, and worldviews.” 

Pope Francis called on President Reed, members of the Board of Trustees, and other senior Loyola University Chicago leaders to be “diligent dreamers,” boldly supporting and fostering creativity and connection in a complex world. 

Mission-driven sustainability 

When Pope Francis’ Encyclical on Ecology, Laudato Si’, was published in 2015, it became both an endorsement of the work Loyola had been doing and a guiding framework for Loyola’s approach to climate action. Shortly after its publication, Loyola introduced a Loyola Hank Center Conference on Laudato Si’, a free online textbook in integral ecology entitled Healing Earth, and the University Pathways website, which assists universities worldwide in bringing Laudato Si’ into their processes and procedures. 

“Laudato Si’ is a soul force behind Loyola’s constant and growing environmental sustainability efforts, said Michael Schuck, professor of environmental justice in the School of Environmental Sustainability and professor of Roman Catholic social thought in the Department of Theology. “Loyola has served as a principal agent of promoting Laudato Si’ to universities and the public worldwide. The Jesuit Curia in Rome, the International Association of Jesuit College and Universities, and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in the U.S. have repeatedly called upon representatives from Loyola to promote Laudato Si’ at international conferences, association meetings, and public fora.” 

Continued impact 

Each of these experiences exemplified the shared mission that connected Pope Francis and Loyola: to work alongside one another, in service of others, toward a brighter future. 

“Pope Francis taught us that no matter our age, race, status, we all have something to give to this world and we should not be afraid of it,” said Campus Ministry Assistant Director of Faith Formation Aleja Sastoque Luna, who met Pope Francis during the 2022 BBI gathering. “He uplifted our experiences as a true testimony of God’s work in each of us. I will be always grateful and proud of Pope Francis’s legacy and his incredible effort to keep building a living church instead a museum.”