Boyd writes: “My acquaintance with Jorge Bergoglio dates back almost forty years, to when we were students together in an intensive German-language program in Germany. He was a kind if reserved classmate in a group of about ten students; only after a week or two did an Italian classmate, now my dearest friend, discover that Jorge was a priest. But, mainly, he was a hard-working student of German, studying like the rest of us, and enjoying the small talk that was our daily conversation. That same classmate met him about a year later in Rome—on a bus!—and he warmly asked about me. That simple thought is something that has stayed with me since then, as a mark of his thoughtfulness and generosity to others.
“Since then, I have followed his career with interest, especially after I discovered that he was one of the rumored candidates for the papacy when Benedict XVI (Cardinal Ratzinger) was eventually chosen. I happened to be in Istanbul when Jorge was elected pope, and I was just so happy at the news.
“The man who became Pope Francis I was what he aspired to be—a good guy. But he was also a great man, whose deep commitment to the things that matter most—human decency, respect for others no matter their circumstances, the fragile gift of the earth’s environment, as well as the fragility of human life—was humbling but also inspiring. He lived life in love with the world, with everyone in the world, and with the God who created everything we can know and even more that we can’t. I will miss him, but, like all Catholics, I believe that his death is only another stage along the way to God.”
