Fr. David Convertino, OFM
Executive Director of Development
Franciscus.
One word.
That’s all Pope Francis asked to be carved on his tombstone: Franciscus.
Not “Supreme Pontiff.” Not “Holy Father.” Not even “Pope.”
Just his name.
But in that one name lies a vision of the Church.
A whole way of life.
A whole echo of the little poor man of Assisi whose name he dared to take.
When Jorge Bergoglio stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and chose the name Francis, it was more than a tribute. It was a declaration of his intentions. He chose a saint who spoke to the heart of the Gospel message—poverty, humility, peace, mercy, and a deep love of creation.
He captured the relational core of the man from Assisi who saw all as brother and sister. The first pope ever to take that name, and he lived it with amazing simplicity and radical tenderness.
Like the original Francis, he embraced the leper of our society. He kissed the broken. He crossed boundaries of nation, class, and creed. He chose the smell of the sheep over the perfume of the palace. He spoke uncomfortable truths to the powerful and consoled the forgotten with gentle words and quiet, powerful gestures.
Franciscus.
It is a name that calls the Church back to its roots.
It is a name that says less pomp, more prayer; less judgment, more joy.
It is a name that reminds us that faith is not about dominance or control, but about washing feet and welcoming strangers.
And when that single word is etched in stone marker at St. Mary Major—Franciscus—it will not just mark a grave.
It will proclaim a legacy.
May we remember him not just by his name, but by how he lived it.
Many Blessings,
Fr. David, OFM
