Obiano Mourns Pope Francis

PAUL NWOSU

When news broke of the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis, the world paused in reverence, mourning a man whose papacy redefined the essence of humility, love, and inclusion in the Catholic Church. Among those most deeply touched was His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano, former Governor of Anambra State and a Knight Commander of the Pontifical Order of St. Gregory the Great, who offered a heartfelt tribute rooted not just in faith but in personal experience.

For Chief Obiano and his family, Pope Francis was not merely a distant religious leader seen through Vatican windows or papal broadcasts. He was a man they had encountered up close, a figure of immense spiritual stature who remained astonishingly grounded in his humanity.

It was on January 15, 2020, at the Vatican, that Chief Obiano was invested with the Papal Knighthood of the Commander of the Pontifical Order of St. Gregory the Great (KCSG), one of the highest honors the Catholic Church bestows on laypersons. The recommendation came from Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, Archbishop and Metropolitan Sea of the Ecclesiastical Province of Onitsha through the Vatican Secretary of State, in recognition of Obiano’s service to the Church of God from childhood. The honor, approved by Pope Francis himself, places Chief Obiano among a distinguished cadre of Catholics globally who have offered exemplary service to the Church, the community, and humanity at large.

But it was the deeply personal moments shared with the Pope that truly left an indelible mark on the Obiano family.

Recalling the experience with warmth and reverence, Chief Obiano describes their stay at “Domus Sanctae Marthae”, Saint Martha’s House, where Pope Francis had chosen to live instead of the opulent “Apostolic Palace” which is the official Pope’s residence. There, in the modest Vatican guesthouse, the Obiano family shared meals in the same dining hall as the Pope, a setting where formality gave way to simplicity. “It was a revelation,” Obiano shared. “You expect such a global spiritual leader to be distant, but he was so approachable, so real.”

One of the most striking moments came when Obiano’s son, Chukwudifu, then an adolescent, excitedly took a “selfie” with the Pope, a spontaneous gesture that could have been frowned upon in more formal settings. But Pope Francis, true to his character, smiled and indulged the boy. “That’s who he was,” said Obiano. “A pontiff who walked the talk, who preached simplicity and lived it.”

After the investiture, Pope Francis presented the family with personal gifts—rosaries for his wife, Ebelechukwu; daughter, Dr. Gechi; and young Chukwudifu. For Obiano himself, the Pope removed his white skullcap, the papal zucchetto, and handed it over. “It was a gesture so rare, so deeply moving, that I encased it in a special glass display on our family altar,” Obiano revealed. “Not just to preserve it from dust, but to constantly remind us of the humility and grace of the man who gave it.”

To Obiano, these memories are more than just sentimental. They embody the core of Pope Francis’s mission: a Church that is close to the people, driven by compassion, simplicity, and justice. The late pontiff’s insistence on dialogue, his outreach to the marginalized, and his reformist spirit found expression not just in words, but in how he related to everyone, from presidents to pilgrims, governors to children.

The Order of St. Gregory the Great, founded in 1831 by Pope Gregory XVI, is awarded to individuals who have shown extraordinary service to the Church. As a Knight Commander, Chief Obiano carries not just a title but a responsibility, to uphold the values Pope Francis embodied: servant leadership, integrity, humility, and compassion.

Describing Pope Francis as “remarkably simple and approachable,” Chief Obiano notes that conversations with the Holy Father felt “as though we had known each other for years.” That warmth, that openness, he says, is what endeared Pope Francis to billions, and what will define his legacy in the annals of the Church.

As he mourns the Pope’s passing, Chief Obiano offers prayers not just for his soul, but for the Church he leaves behind, that it may continue the work he began, remain a beacon for the poor and the excluded, and always reflect the Gospel values of love, mercy, and justice.

“In the Pope,” Obiano concludes, “we saw the face of Christ. And in his memory, we must live out what he stood for.”

May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.