Pope Francis: The Shepherd of Mercy

A pope who rode the bus, washed prisoners’ feet, and never stopped reminding the world that God’s mercy has no limits.

He was the pope who paid his own hotel bill, carried his own bag, and chose to live in a simple guest house instead of a palace.

Pope Francis led the Catholic Church from 2013 until he went home to God in April 2025, and in those years he became a beloved shepherd to millions — known above all for one word: mercy.

His witness is a gift to families, because he made holiness look like kindness. Our hand-painted plush collection includes a Pope Francis doll — a gentle way to keep his example of humble love close to your children.

Who Was Pope Francis?

He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He became a Jesuit priest, then Archbishop of Buenos Aires, where he was famous for riding the bus, visiting the slums, and cooking his own meals.

On March 13, 2013, he was elected pope — the first Jesuit, the first pope from the Americas, and the first to take the name Francis, after gentle St. Francis of Assisi, the saint who loved the poor and all of creation.

From his very first night, he set the tone. Asked to bless the crowd, he first bowed his head and asked the people to pray for him. That humility never left him.

A Pope of Mercy

If you could keep only one word from his papacy, it would be mercy. Over and over, Pope Francis insisted that no one is beyond the reach of God’s love — that the Church is a “field hospital” for the wounded, and that God never tires of forgiving us.

He showed it more than he said it. He washed the feet of prisoners and refugees. He embraced the sick and the disfigured. He reminded the comfortable to make room for the forgotten. For children, that’s the clearest possible picture of what love looks like.

What He Teaches Families

Pope Francis made the faith feel reachable. You don’t have to be perfect, he kept saying — you have to keep getting up, keep asking forgiveness, keep caring for the person in front of you.

He loved to talk about small, concrete kindness: a warm word, an open door, care for the poor and for the earth God gave us. Those are lessons a young child can live out today — sharing, including the left-out kid, picking up litter, saying sorry and meaning it.

Bringing His Example Home

The best way to honor a shepherd is to live what he taught. A small image of Pope Francis on a shelf is a daily nudge toward the mercy, humility, and kindness he spent his whole life pointing to.

For the children, look for the Pope Francis doll in our soft plush collection, made to be carried and loved. And for a shelf or family altar, our hand-painted Miniature Saint Statues collection offers heirloom-quality figures to keep good shepherds before your family’s eyes.

A Prayer Remembering Pope Francis

Pope Francis spent his life delivering one message in a thousand ways: God’s mercy is bigger than your worst day, and no one is too small or too lost to be loved. That’s a truth worth handing down — in every home, to every child.

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Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Pope Francis, and teach our families his mercy.

For more ways to live the faith together at home, visit the It’s Fun to Be Catholic blog.