We mourn the death of Pope Francis and pledge to carry on his ministry

Pope Francis taught us—through his words and actions—to love and respect every person as a child of God. He called us to welcome migrants with humanity, care for the earth as our common home, and challenge economic systems that idolize money and cause poverty, suffering, and indifference.

Pope Francis reminded us that the future of humanity is in the hands of those who struggle against poverty and injustice. He praised social movements that “do not wait with folded arms for the aid of NGOs, welfare plans or solutions that never come, or, if they do come, arrive in such a way that they go in one direction—either to anaesthetize or domesticate.”

He urged us to organize for change, to confront the structural causes of poverty, inequality, and lack of work, land, and housing. He called us to be protagonists of a better, more humane future.

Solidarity, Pope Francis told us, is—at its deepest—a way of making history.

That is our work.

Excerpts from Pope Francis’ teaching on social justice, organizing, and popular movements.