The Catholic community of Mandalay Archdiocese gathered in solemn prayer on April 21 to mark the first anniversary of the passing of Pope Francis, remembering a pontiff who once placed his hand over his heart at the mention of Myanmar and said, “Myanmar is always in my heart.”

The memorial Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral began at 7:00 a.m., presided over by Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay Archdiocese. Priests, religious sisters, and lay faithful from across the region attended.

A Pope of Mercy

In his homily, Archbishop Marco reflected on the transformative nature of Pope Francis’s 12-year papacy. He emphasized the late Pontiff’s dedication to the “peripheries”—the marginalized, the forgotten, and the rejected.

“The Holy Father practiced mercy throughout his entire life,” the Archbishop said. “He urged us not to criticize those with wounded souls, but to heal them. He didn’t just preach humility; he lived it, from building shower facilities for the homeless near the Vatican to sharing his table with the poor.”

The Archbishop shared a personal memory. When he once told Pope Francis he was from Myanmar, the Pope placed his hand over his heart and replied, “Myanmar is always in my heart.”

A Legacy of Firsts

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936, was a figure of historic shifts within the Church. Elected on March 13, 2013, he was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere.

Known as the “Slum Bishop” for his ministry in Buenos Aires, he broke centuries of tradition by living in the Casa Santa Marta guesthouse rather than the Apostolic Palace. His landmark encyclicals—Laudato si’ on ecological protection and Fratelli tutti on global fraternity—redefined the Church’s role in modern social justice.

He died at age 88 on April 21, 2025, and was succeeded by Pope Leo XIV, who continues to build upon the foundations of synodality laid by Francis.

Remembering the 2017 Visit

The memorial also recalled Pope Francis’s historic four-day visit to Myanmar in November 2017—the first-ever visit by a sitting pope. He celebrated Mass at Yangon’s Kyaikkasan Ground before an estimated 150,000 people, challenging the nation’s youth to be “messengers of peace” and to reject the “colonization of the mind.”

A Call to Carry Forward

As the bells of Sacred Heart Cathedral tolled, Archbishop Marco urged the faithful to carry on the late Pope’s mission.

“Let us treat one another with compassion and humility,” he said. “Let us follow the path of love that Pope Francis walked until his final breath.”

By RVA Myanmar Service