Brothers and sisters all, humanity has lost one of its courageous moral voices – but his legacy lives on in the countless lives he touched, and in the movements he inspired.
For me, this moment is not just for mourning, but for deep gratitude. We have been fortunate to witness a rare kind of leadership. At a time of widening divides – among nations, within societies, and between humanity and the planet – he offered a steady hand and a moral compass.
His 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti remains one of the most profound moral blueprints of our time. A rallying cry for unity, compassion and solidarity. In a world increasingly fractured, he reminded us of something simple but profound: we belong to each other. Migrants, the poor, the marginalized – he made no distinction. He asked us to look into the eyes of the “other” and see not a stranger, but a neighbour – not a threat, but a reflection of ourselves.
He made us feel we were working not just on policy, but on purpose.
He was never afraid to hold a mirror to power – reminding us often that political and economic systems should serve the common good, that true leadership means service, and that peace is not simply the absence of war, but the presence of justice.
I remember clearly the first time I met him. It was shortly after his election, and we were presenting the Better Growth, Better Climate report. He listened carefully – then gently reminded us: “Don’t forget who suffers most from climate change.” He asked us to go beyond the science and put people, especially the most vulnerable, at the centre of our work. Later, he showed us his modest room – having declined the grand papal apartments. That small act spoke volumes about his values: humility, solidarity, simplicity.
He cared deeply for the protection of nature – fitting, given that St. Francis is the patron saint of ecology. His 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, a passionate appeal for the care of our common home, marked a turning point in how faith, science and society could come together.
I will not easily forget the moment he stood before the 2015 United Nations General Assembly, when the world adopted the Sustainable Development Goals. His presence brought a kind of stillness – and then, motion. He made us feel we were working not just on policy, but on purpose.
As the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Global South, and the first to take the name Francis, he disrupted centuries of convention, not for the sake of change, but to reflect a different kind of leadership – one that opened the doors of the church a little wider. As he said in one of his final letters, “Love builds a fraternity open to all, without exception.” It’s a reminder we would do well to carry forward. The work is not finished. If anything, it begins anew.
He would often end our meetings with a simple request: “Pray for me.” And we did. Today, we return to that prayer. Rest well, dear brother. May your example continue to guide us, and may we be worthy to continue on the path you forged.
Now it falls to us to carry the light forward.
This article was originally written for LinkedIn. It has been edited to conform with Corporate Knights style. See the original post here.
Paul Polman is the former CEO of Unilever, a long-time climate campaigner and the author of Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More than They Take.
