Editor’s note: Pope Francis died Monday, April 21, 2025, from a stroke and cardiac arrest. He was 88. He was the 266th Roman Catholic Pope.
Deacon Arthur C. Donart, PhD, SFO submitted the essay.
I am six months older than Pope Francis. We share common memories of the death, destruction, separation, and suffering of millions of families. True, we experienced this from differing perspectives and in differing ways. We both grew up in poor families. As the Great Depression was ending, World War II was beginning. I saw my father and uncles going afar to war: three to the Pacific, and one to the Atlantic; two to the Navy, and two to the Army. We were both baptized and raised in the Roman Catholic Tradition, with the Latin Mass. We both studied for the priesthood; he completed his studies. I dropped out after two years and joined the Army, as the Korean “Police Action” was drawing to a close.
Fast forward a quarter of a century. Vatican Council II is over and the permanent diaconate is restored in the church. Restoration of the permanent deacons enabled me to enter the second class of deacons for our diocese. After two years of studies, I was ordained by Bishop O’Keefe on June 2, 1984. I served as Chaplain to the Clinton, IA, County Jail for 18 years; Relief Chaplain for a Clinton Hospital; at Nursing Homes for the elderly. After Bishop O’Keefe retired, I served under Bishop Franklin who also retired. Then I served under Bishop Amos. In 2011 I was the one to retire, at the mandatory retirement age of 75.
It was in this last period of service that I evidently angered Bishop Amos. He never had a conversation with me, except a very short one, when I was assisting him at the closing Mass for St. Irenaeus Church. We were in the entrance of the church waiting for the start time, when the Lector announced there would be a prayer for vocations to the priesthood.
I asked, “Bishop, isn’t our God a good and gracious God, that provides for all our needs?”
(Bishop Amos) “Of course, God supplies all our needs!”
(Me) “Then, why are we praying for more vocations? Shouldn’t we be praying for God to open our eyes and accept all the vocations God has blessed us with?”
Silence; end of conversation.
Later, when the Iowa Supreme Court was considering a case about whether or not gay couples could have a civil marriage, I joined the coffee group after Mass. I asked just about everyone there, “If the Court rules that gays have a right to marry, how will that effect your marriage and family?” Their reply was, “Deacon, it won’t affect us at all.” Some of these folks had been married for 25 years or more. No one was concerned about how the Court would rule. Sure enough, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that gay people had the same rights as everyone else.
Then, on the Feast of the Holy Family, my homily [message] was about what I believed was really destructive to our institution of the family. I specifically stated it was NOT Gay Marriage. Contrary to what our Bishops were screaming, I said that war, poverty, and infidelity were the most destructive to families, and I explained my reasoning. A couple men in a Deacon class complained to the Bishop, that I had endorsed gay marriage. Without talking to me about their complaints, the Bishop evidently told the Pastor to change my preaching assignment. He did. I was assigned to preach at The Canticle in Clinton, IA, to the retired Franciscan nuns! I loved it; I’ve been there ever since.
Not meaning to antagonize Bishop Amos with my controversial essays, The Catholic Messenger published my article, “Would Our Bishops Lie to Us?” Bishops were stressing that, “Marriage had always been between one man and one woman.” My position was that either those Bishops had never read the Old Testament, or they were lying. Multiple spouses were clearly mentioned in scripture. Stating that Bishops don’t lie, Bishop Amos informed the Editor that there were to be no more articles written by Deacon Art. To this day, that is the case.
Then came Pope Francis to my rescue. When the Pope was asked if gays should be allowed to receive communion, he replied,
“If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord, and has good will, then who am I to judge him?….No one should marginalize these people for this, they must be integrated into society.”
As soon as he was elected, he took the name Francis, and I knew my younger “brother” was the new Pope. We both believed that all people were God’s children. We read Scripture much the same way. Although I never met him, I loved him. My younger brother is gone, but his writing and words will live on.
His legacy is that Pope Francis made the Catholic Church more catholic, ie., broad-minded, universal, and all-inclusive.
Pope Francis encouraged adoption. “All children deserve a home,” he stated.
