Father Nicolás “was not the kind of leader who says, ‘I am the one who knows everything.’ He really trusted in people, and he listened.”

The church’s mission “is the work of the Holy Spirit and not the consequence of our ideas and projects,” the pope said.

“The Holy See is following the situation closely and expresses concern about any future actions that could further compromise dialogue.”

“As superior general,” Father Arturo Sosa said of Father Nicolás, “he brought to the Society his deep missionary vocation that helped us to see the universality of the mission from the perspective and the passion of presenting the Good News in all corners of the world.”

Francis celebrated the centenary Mass at the altar on the tomb of St. John Paul II. And for the first time since the national lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic, he celebrated in the presence of over 100 people.

Pope Francis asked the group to ‘prepare the future’ not ‘prepare for the future.’