On Easter Monday, I received a message from one of my ADR students that we lost an extraordinary peacemaker, a genuine champion of peace; I was heartbroken- filled with a mixture of sorrow, frustration, and even a sense of anger as I reflect on the importance of his work and the void he leaves behind.

Pope Francis was a saint on earth; he inspired countless individuals, like me, to embrace the principles of peace, peacemaking, love, kindness, and reconciliation. His ability to motivate and unite people was remarkable. I often recall the thought-provoking question posed by Professor Ken Cloke: “Why can’t we all get along?” Pope Francis shared the same ideology as Prof. Ken Cloke.

With his engaging personality and powerful rhetoric, Pope Francis made the pursuit of peace feel not only possible but essential. For instance, he taught profound lessons, such as ‘how God does not disown any of His children; He loves us as we are.’ He also encouraged us to recognise ‘the distinction between a #sin and a #crime,’ reinforcing the idea that ‘compassion and forgiveness’ are vital in our daily interactions.

Pope Francis is a rare gem, a born peacemaker; his belief in the transformative power of ideas resonates deeply, as brought to light by the former Military officer,

minister and President of #BurkinaFaso, Thomas Sankara’s assertion that “while revolutionaries can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas.” The interim president of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traoré, is implementing Sankara’s idea or vision.

Even though Pope Francis died a natural death, his idea or vision for a peaceful, inclusive world remains strong, cannot be erased rather it has motivated me and I believe many others to carry on his message-a move from ‘his story to our story and win true peace-making,’ or better still, leave the world in a much better place than we met it.

I will always remember Pope Francis as a Pope of peace through his tireless appeals for the oppressed, marginalised, the downtrodden and his tireless efforts to show compassion and solidarity visits to show his closeness to those suffering the consequences of one of the most horrific and unjust man-made disasters- war—reflected his commitment to uplift those who are often forgotten.

Indeed, just like the biblical statement ‘he fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. And of course, no truer words can describe the aforementioned statement than Julius Caesar’s statement ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici which means ‘ I came, I saw, and I conquered.’

Without an iota of doubt, Pope Francis fought a noble fight and remained steadfast in his values throughout his journey.

As he poignantly stated, “Peace is a precious gift which must be promoted and protected.”

May his life and legacy continue to inspire us to promote peace, love, to forgive, to help each other and of course to stand up for the #oppressed, #marginalised, the #downtrodden and the #poor (No pun intended).

Rest in the bosom of our Lord- Pontificate of Peace!

Pax vobiscum! Et cum spíritu tuo!

Reference:

Picture credit: Vatican News.

Vatican News.

The Holy Bible.

SABC News- Thomas Sankara.

History Skills- www.historyskills.com -Julius Caesar.

Expert Views on ADR, What is it about #Conflict that gets us into so much #trouble |#youtubeshorts |Ken Cloke #viral #adr <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mjrm….>

Chinwe Egbunike-Umegbolu, Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Comparative Perspectives in Nigeria, the UK and the US (2024). Published by Springer Nature.

Sending love, peace, hope, light and faith,

C

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