April 21, 2025 // Local

Priest of the Diocese Pays Tribute to Pope Francis

Zane Langenbrunner

“Non dimenticare di pregare per me. Buon pranzo, ed arrivederci!”

During his 12-year pontificate, Pope Francis ended each of his Sunday general audiences with these words. Roughly translated from the Italian, the pope would say, “Do not forget to pray for me. Have a good lunch, and see you later!”

I had these words in mind when, on the occasion of the Easter Vigil in April of 2023, I had the opportunity to meet the Holy Father. I had been asked to sing the Exsultet, also known as the Easter Proclamation, for the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. I was a transitional deacon at the time, just a few months away from being ordained a priest for our diocese. And, as you can imagine, I was nervous to sing in front of the pope. Who wouldn’t be!?

CNS photo/Chris Warde-Jones
Father Zane Langenbrunner, then a deacon studying at the Pontifical North American College, carries the Paschal candle during the Easter Vigil Mass with Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on April 8, 2023.

Pope Francis, meanwhile, had been rather sick in the weeks leading up to Easter that year. He spent three days in Gemelli Hospital with acute bronchitis from March 28 to April 1, and even then news outlets had been speculating about how much longer his earthly life might last. Yet, here he was, ready to preside over the Easter Vigil liturgy – even if he had to do it from a wheelchair!

As I vested with the other deacons who were serving for the Mass, our master of ceremonies came to us with important news. “The Holy Father is here, and he would like to greet you before the liturgy begins.” He quickly brought us to the alcove just in front of Michelangelo’s famous Pietà sculpture, where we lined up before Pope Francis, who was already vested and seated in his wheelchair.

Several thoughts ran through my mind at this point. Do I talk to him in Spanish or Italian? What do I say to him? How do I avoid sounding like a complete moron? As I drew closer in line, however, these thoughts faded. I looked at the Holy Father’s face, watched him greet each of the other deacons, smiling at them, encouraging them, and I remembered what Pope Francis had repeated so many times, “Do not forget to pray for me.” Finally, it was my turn to greet him.

“Santo Padre,” I said, “Non abbiamo dimenticato di pregare per Lei,” which translate to, “Holy Father, we haven’t forgotten to pray for you.”

He paused briefly. Then he replied,“A favore, o contra?” – “For or against?” It was one of his classic jokes. “A favore, a favore, Santo Padre!” I stammered. He winked at me, handed me a rosary, and squeezed my hand.

It was a brief but revealing interaction. Pope Francis knew that he was not everyone’s favorite pontiff. He was controversial. He forced people to think about uncomfortable issues. He emphasized what was closest to his heart, sometimes to the exclusion of what was more pressing to the minds of others in the Church. He remained always Jorge Mario Bergoglio – an Argentinian, a Jesuit, an imperfect man – even as he served as Pope Francis.

And, from the beginning, he has always asked us to pray for him.

In his first public words to the Church as Bishop of Rome, mere hours after his election, Pope Francis said this: “And now I would like to give the blessing, but first – first I ask a favor of you: Before the bishop blesses his people, I ask you to pray to the Lord that he will bless me: the prayer of the people asking the blessing for their bishop. Let us make, in silence, this prayer: your prayer over me.”

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, will no doubt be remembered in many ways: as the first non-European pope in 1,300 years; as the first pope from the New World and from Latin America; as the pope of synodality and environmentalism, of missionary discipleship and mercy, of migrants, of the poor, and of the marginalized.

But I will always remember him as the pope who asked us to pray for him. To not forget to pray for him. “Non dimenticare di pregare per me. …”

We will not forget, Holy Father. Even now. Especially now. Arrivederci!

Father Zane Langenbrunner is an associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Fort Wayne.