Farewell to Pope Francis, the pontiff who had the Canary Islands in his future plans and who kept documents from southern Gran Canaria in his office.

“I think about this, about going to the Canary Islands”, Pope Francis said in September 2024 on his return trip from a 12-day tour of Oceania and Southeast Asia. A statement that arose from the pontiff's concern about the serious migration crisis the archipelago was experiencing at the time. Words that resonated throughout the archipelago and which led the President of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, to visit the Holy See to express his gratitude for its concern and formally invite him to the archipelago.

 

Specifically, Pope Francis kept a document at the Holy See that addresses religions, culture, and the role of San Bartolomé de Tirajana as a "Rotary City of Peace." The document was handed to the Holy Father by the municipality's current mayor, Marco Aurelio Pérez, who attended one of his audiences with Ramón Suárez in 2023 and enjoyed a brief chat with the pontiff in St. Peter's Square.

 

Francis traveled to 66 countries during his 12-year papacy, visiting key destinations such as Lesbos and Iraq and emphasizing interfaith dialogue. Despite not visiting Spain, the Holy Father has had the country very present in his prayers and speeches. Just a few months ago, prayed for the victims of the DANA in Valencia before an image of the patron saint of Valencia, "the Virgin of the Forsaken."

 

He also remembered the Canary Islands after the eruption of the Tajogaite Volcano, with a prayer for the residents of La Palma and a charming image of him receiving bananas from La Palma as a gift from Félix Bolaños.

 

 

However, a gesture that may go unnoticed but that helps to understand the papacy of Francis is the concern of the Holy Father months after the eruption, when in January 2022 (when many media in this country were no longer paying attention to the affected residents of La Palma) Pope Francis sent a message of encouragement and affection to all those neighbors who were dedicated to the reconstruction of the island.

 

Today the world bids farewell to Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a relatable pope who marked many milestones and changed traditional rituals in the Church, including his own funeral, as he will be the first pope to be buried outside of St. Peter's, specifically in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, to which he felt a great devotion.

 

As Vatican correspondent and friend of Pope Francis, Antonio Pelayo, stated during this morning's news coverage, "Pope Francis died with his boots on," fulfilling his duties until the very end despite his delicate medical condition, making his final public appearance on Easter Sunday to give the Urbi et Orbi blessing, walking through St. Peter's Square to greet the faithful, and even finding time to meet with the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance.