Pope Francis passes away: 10 powerful quotes that shaped his legacy (PHOTOS)

From calls for mercy and humility to bold statements on social issues, this gallery brings together some of Pope Francis's most powerful and defining quotes that shaped his decade-long papacy.

Humility

Pray for me" - pronounced at the end of every speech, because he once explained, "I am a sinner too." His first tweet and first post on Instagram were versions of the mantra.

Poor

"How I would like a poor church for the poor"

Pope Francis expressed his vision just three days after his election in March 2013, setting the foundation for his papacy.

Tolerance

“If someone is gay and is searching for the Lord and has good will, then who am I to judge him?”

In July 2013, Pope Francis made this landmark statement, signaling a shift toward a more compassionate and inclusive Church.

Inequality

“The worship of the ancient golden calf has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose”.

Environment

“The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.”

A stark warning from Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical Laudato Si, emphasizing the urgent need for environmental responsibility.

Clerical sex abuse

"I am reminded of the cruel religious practice, once widespread in certain cultures, of sacrificing human beings -- frequently children -- in pagan rites."

Pope Francis admitted in April 2018, acknowledging his own failings in the Chilean abuse cover-up scandal. 

He said, "I have incurred grave mistakes of judgement and perception of the situation, especially due to the lack of truthful and balanced information."

Developing World

"The land of the southern poor is rich and mostly unpolluted, yet access to ownership of goods and resources for meeting vital needs is inhibited by a system of commercial relations and ownership which is structurally perverse," - advocating the cause of the southern hemisphere in Laudato Si.

Migrants

"In this world of globalisation we have fallen into a globalisation of indifference. We are accustomed to the suffering of others, it doesn't concern us, it's none of our business".

Old Europe

"We encounter a general impression of weariness and ageing, of a Europe which is now a 'grandmother', no longer fertile and vibrant" - addressing the European Parliament in November 2014.

Church Reform

“A Curia that is not self-critical, that does not stay up-to-date, that does not seek to better itself, is an ailing body... It is the sickness of the rich fool who thinks he will live for all eternity.”

In December 2014, Pope Francis delivered a blistering critique of the Vatican bureaucracy, accusing it of being plagued by careerism, vanity, and what he called “spiritual Alzheimer’s."