Manila: Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday in Rome, but his teachings and example of leadership remain. On Holy Thursday 2013, Pope Francis bent low to wash and kissed the feet of prisoners, women and Muslims, breaking a long-standing tradition involving 12 Catholic men, often priests. The bold move provided the world a glimpse into the kind of pope he would be for the next 12 years: a servant leader.
According to Philippines News Agency, while leadership is often defined by power and prestige, Pope Francis made a transformative difference when it came to governing the Roman Catholic Church. ‘He embodies what a Pastor should be,’ Rev. Fr. Daniel Coronel, parochial vicar of the Santo Ni±o Parish Church in Meycauayan City, Bulacan, said. Although Pope Francis was not part of Coronel’s equation when he decided to become a priest, he was inspired by his ‘dedications to serve the needy, the least, the last and the lost in the community.’
Before Coronel was ordained, he had the privilege to be one of the servers during the Mass celebrated by Pope Francis when the pontiff visited the Philippines in 2015. ‘During his visit to the Philippines in 2015, I was so blessed to be assigned as one of the servers in the Mass. What struck is that, when I am about to wash his hands before the Mass, he smiled at me, without any word at all. His face is so meek, I can really feel the holiness from him,’ he recalled. It is this quiet but profound moment that continues to influence Coronel’s approach to ministry.
‘We need to go out of our rectory,’ he said. ‘Dapat mag-amoy tupa ang pastol (Shepherds should smell like their sheep). Priests must be well immersed to the culture, to the people, doing charity works and listening and journeying with them.’ The idea that the true shepherd lives and ‘smells like his sheep’ echoes Pope Francis’ consistent message: proximity to the people is not optional, it is essential.
In 2021, Pope Francis launched the Synod on Synodality, a worldwide consultation to gather the thoughts of Catholics at all levels. This gives the Church a new face — from an institution that gives orders to a community journeying together. Coronel said he also found deep resonance in Pope Francis’ metaphor to the Church as a ‘field hospital.’ He said that in a world wounded by poverty, exclusion, and indifference, ‘the Church is like a hospital at the center of the battlefield.’
‘We cannot refuse, we can only accept people who come near to us,’ he said. The priest emphasized that Pope Francis’ leadership redefined the role of the Church in the modern world. ‘He revolutionized everything. Gone are the days when priests were on a pedestal. Today, we need priests like Pope Francis,’ Coronel said.
This was also echoed by Bishop Dennis Villarojo of the Diocese of Malolos in his homily during the Chrism Mass on April 14, a week before Pope Francis died. ‘Ang Espiritu Santo ay hindi diktador. God is ‘logos’. God is reason. Kaya nawa’y walang obispong diktador, walang paring awtokrata, walang laikong busabos (The Holy Spirit is not a dictator. God is ‘logos’. God is reason. Therefore, may there be no bishop who is a dictator, no priest who is an autocrat, and no layperson who is a slave),’ Bishop Villarojo addressed the priests in his diocese.
This view is shared by Bro. Roderick Evans Bartolome, secretary of Legion of Mary Senatus of Northern Philippines, who describes Pope Francis as an embodiment of servant leadership. ‘He doesn’t just preach it, he lives it,’ Bartolome said. ‘He travelled to remote areas in Italy to meet with migrants personally. That’s real leadership — it’s lived. ‘His model of humility is the Blessed Mother,’ he added.
Bartolome said the leadership of Pope Francis should be followed, not just in the Church, but also in government and the private sector, where being a servant leader is not just spoken about, but truly lived out. In a time when many leaders today chase power for themselves, Pope Francis offers a radical reminder: real authority comes not from commanding crowds, but about bending low and washing feet. That leadership is not about being first, but about serving others, especially the last.
