Political leaders must embrace Pope Francis’s virtues of humility, love, compassion —Most Rev Badejo

•Says election of new Pope will not happen through ‘Emi lo kan’ process

Pope Francis was laid to rest at the Vatican on Saturday, April 26, 2025 having died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at age 88 after suffering a stroke and irreversible cardiac arrest. In this interview with PHILIP IBITOYE, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo, reflects on the legacy of the late Catholic Church leader and the lessons political leaders across the world should learn from it.

The Pope died less than 24 hours after appearing at St Peter’s Square to lead the Easter Sunday address. What was your reaction to the news of his passing?

Oh, well, I must say my reaction was not different from the reaction of millions of people watching the Pope when he came into St. Peter’s Basilica and the Square, just to be among thousands of people to celebrate him. And I knew he had just left hospital where the doctors had told him to take things easy and have a good rest.

But because of the kind of person he was, he came to greet the people in an audible but very faint and weak voice to wish them a happy Easter. You can imagine my shock when, 12 hours later, he was declared dead. We were actually preparing for the Mass, for the Galilee celebration, as we call it—when Jesus declared that his apostles should meet him in Galilee―when we heard the news.

When we heard that the Pope had died, it was shocking, initially, but then we thought, what a great day to die? What other day would you want to die except on a day when Jesus summoned his disciples to meet him in Galilee?

 

What are your favourite memories of the Pope?

First of all, I’m very grateful that I had the opportunity to meet the Pope several times at the Vatican. My memory of him is that of a man who was relatable, accessible, simple, humble, and humorous. Every time we met with him, for one reason or the other, he made people feel at ease. He made everybody around him feel like he was just next to them and talking directly to them.

So, my memory of him was that he was a great father to people, a great inspiration to so many, including myself. You could see that from the many symbols and signs he left in his own lifetime: carrying his own bag, rejecting big limousines and choosing to drive small cars, always being close to people and holding children close to him.

On one occasion, he was giving a speech at the Vatican and a child came and sat in his chair. They tried to take the child away from there and the Pope said, “Leave the child.” These are the kinds of moments that reflect his gospel of love, solidarity, and compassion. It’s truly wonderful.

 

In the United States, on the conservative side, for example, the Pope was controversial. People felt he leaned towards social progressives—LGBTQ issues and so on. What is your view on that? Was that because the Pope was being more accommodating of people of different backgrounds?

Yes, I mean your choice of words isn’t wrong at all—the Pope was seen as controversial. You can imagine, he was trying to accommodate the whole world in his gospel, which means making human beings feel like brothers, no matter what their weaknesses were. There are people who firmly believe that homosexuals and people of different orientations are not acceptable. That’s fine—everyone is entitled to their opinions. But the Pope is a man who sits atop humanity in a way that he feels responsible for the soul and salvation of everyone.

He tried to carry everyone along—not just in your country, but across the entire world. Even for us in Africa, there were certain things the Pope taught that, given our culture, we found a bit difficult to accept. But as a Pope, he accepted our own views and encouraged us to continue engaging and living in solidarity. A few years before he died—just four years ago—he instituted what we call the process of synodality. That means learning to listen to one another, not being so immediately critical. It gives space to people at the margins: refugees, migrants, those different from us by orientation, tribe, or social status.

It is a great message that reemphasises what Christian love and the love of Jesus Christ are all about. You could even refer to the gospel account of Jesus and the adulterous woman. She was about to be stoned, but Jesus was controversial by refusing to let them do it. His message to her was: “Go away and sin no more.” And when he said, “Whoever has not sinned, let him cast the first stone,” people must have been shocked. That’s the kind of inclusive love and challenge that the Pope lived by.

 

Considering the way the Pope lived—accommodating all people, including minorities—what do you think people should emulate from him?

I want to say the Pope didn’t only accommodate minority groups, but also accommodated those who were suffering. This is a Pope who even created accommodation within the Vatican for Muslim migrants and refugees. You can imagine the impact. He chose to live amongst people in Vatican City. The world is full of people who are oppressed and marginalised by a small group of powerful people. That’s the truth about many countries. Africa especially suffers from that.

When the Holy Father visited Africa for the last time in 2023—South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo—he addressed huge populations that had been suffering for years. He delivered a message that, for the most powerful people in the world, would have seemed like a contradiction or a controversy. He said: “Hands off Africa, it is not a land to be exploited and taken advantage of. Hands off Africa so that Africa can live.”

If you say Africa is a minority in that sense, you need to question your estimation. Africa is a vast land with talented people but has suffered political, cultural, and economic oppression. The Pope didn’t speak just for minorities, he spoke for the voiceless, the oppressed, and the poor. That is what leadership should be about: being responsible, being compassionate, and caring for those in your charge. How many leaders in our world today can say that? What did the Pope ever need that he did not have? Yet, he went where no one expected, including places like Mongolia where Catholics are few. His message was not about religion alone, it was about every human being created in God’s image.

He even cared for the environment. One of his most powerful documents is ‘Laudato Si’, which is an expression that comes from St. Francis, after whom he took his name. What does it mean? It tries to teach us that we must take good care of the earth—our common home. He spoke powerfully on climate change to politicians who didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t care about what was convenient to say, he cared about what was right. That’s the message: do what is right.

 

Some politicians, like the US President Donald Trump, were not fans of the Pope, especially for his views on climate change and immigration. Would you like the next Pope to be similarly outspoken on issues like the wars in Ukraine and Gaza?

Let’s put it this way: we tend to use words like political, radical, or revolutionary. But what every Pope tries to do is care about humanity. At the centre of the gospel of Christ and the Church’s mission is humanity. There are people today who treat human beings as disposable—people who exploit the poor and marginalised. The Pope and the Church will always face opposition for standing with the weak.

So it’s not about whether I hope for an outspoken Pope. I know that whoever becomes Pope next will still have to confront the same issues Pope Francis did. The world is in moral meltdown. Look at all the wars. Even here in Nigeria, people are dying unnecessarily. Humanity is being degraded, abused, and destroyed. Leaders must take responsibility. They must prove they are worthy by defending the dignity of every child of God.

 

After the Pope’s death, when does the process of electing the next Pope begin?

The College of Cardinals is summoned between 9 and 15 days after the Pope’s burial. They gather in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican and hold a Mass for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Then they begin the voting process. There are currently about 252 Cardinals in the world, but only around 135 are electors—those under the age of 80. They continue voting until someone emerges with a two-thirds majority. If a Pope is elected, white smoke rises from the chapel. If not, black smoke is seen. There have been unduly long times in the past, so nobody can tell really when the process will conclude. It is not a political process—there is no fixed calendar. It depends on the Holy Spirit.

 

Who is eligible to be elected Pope?

Any Cardinal can be elected Pope. There’s no age limit. However, only those under the age of 80 can vote.

 

How many Nigerians are eligible to vote or be elected Pope right now?

We have three Cardinals from Nigeria, but only one is currently eligible to vote. In Africa, there are 29 Cardinals, of whom 17 are electors. So, as I told you, this is not a political process. It is not an “Emi lo kan” process. We pray and we have been praying for the best outcome. And I tell you, not just Catholics, but people of other faiths have been praying because you can understand that the authority and leadership of the Pope do not just affect Catholics, but the entire humanity.

 

What are your parting words for the Catholic world as they prepare to elect the next Pope?

My parting words—for the whole world, not just Catholics—are to never let the lessons of Pope Francis fade away. He came from Argentina, a place few expected. He was from the Society of Jesuit, a group from which no previous Pope had come. Today, people rely too much on human strength and too little on God. As one of my friends said: “In today’s world, everyone enjoys freedom of speech—except Almighty God.”

We must remember, the earth belongs to God. The legacy of humility, love, and solidarity that Pope Francis left behind must not be abandoned. He cared deeply for migrants, refugees, and the sick, even to his final days. He entered the square a day before his death despite his doctors’ warnings. That tells you something: he didn’t want to rule from afar. Our leaders must learn from that. Too many go abroad for minor health issues while their people can’t access medical care. Why do leaders become untouchable after assuming office? Why do they become monsters when they once shared corn with us during campaigns?

We must change. Look at the emotion of the world after the Pope died. It is a true emotion of love. Not too many of our leaders get that kind of reaction when they die. He didn’t bribe his way into position. That is true leadership. So, I really pray that our leaders can find blessings from that and that the people of God continue to find solace in the leader who tried to serve God and has died peacefully with a glorious death as well.

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