As the faithful worldwide reflect on the life and legacy of Pope Francis after news of his death on Easter Monday, many moments come to mind of his papacy — beautiful memories of this dear Pope who worked tirelessly to “to go out into the peripheries.” 

As a journalist, the Francis pontificate is the first I have followed closely, having come into Catholic media in 2015 after a long road in secular news.

Having spent many mornings waking up to new papal motu proprios, apostolic letters and “off-the-cuff” remarks, powerful lingering memories surface — showing a humanity that Pope Francis always seemed to offer to his flock. 

As we remember this digital-age pope who truly touched the lives of so many, including the millennial generation, here are seven iconic moments that will always be hard to forget from this pontificate.

1. Pope Francis embraces a disabled boy during his first blessing urbi et orbi as pontiff. 

It was the Holy Father’s first Easter as pope. A young boy with disabilities named Dominic was in the square with his family.

The Gondreau family, with all five children, were there that special day, but little Dominic and his mother Christiana were allowed to go closer to a special section for those with disabilities. An usher noticed Dominic — and as the popemobile was passing, told the mother to hold her son up so he might receive a blessing. 

Taking him out of his wheelchair, the mother held him up, but the Holy Father passed them by due to the size of the crowd on Easter Sunday. 

But the usher was intent upon helping Dominic so as the mobile steered around for another visit through the 250,000 souls who had gathered to greet the new Pope and celebrate the Risen Christ, he caught the attention of the driver, summoning him over. Other ushers helped, and soon young Dominic was nestled into the Holy Father’s neck, being embraced and kissed by the Vicar of Christ. 

Dominic’s father Paul, who teaches theology at Providence College in Rhode Island, was unaware of the captivating moment until he heard son Lucas exclaim, “It’s Dominic!” On the screen for the world to see was his dear son being embraced by the Pope. 

Gondreau said at the time that the Pope in that instant held “all people” with disabilities.

2. Pope Francis consoles a young boy fearing his father may not make it to heaven. 

Footage of Pope Francis face-to-face with a little boy sobbing uncontrollably over the fact that his father had died an atheist went viral. The Italian child named Emanuele wanted to ask the Holy Father a question during a visit to St. Paul of the Cross parish in Rome during spring 2018. 

Choking back tears, the boy struggled to get his words out. The Pope quickly beckoned him: “Come; come to me, Emanuele. Come and whisper in my ear.”

The little boy, crying uncontrollably, walked and the Holy Father embraced him. Emanuele cried on his shoulder; and after settling down, began to whisper in the Pontiff’s ear; their foreheads touched while speaking so closely together. 

After a brief conversation, Pope Francis asked the boy if he could share with the crowd. 

The Pope told the story of Emanuele’s father, who was an atheist and had recently died. The boy’s father had baptized his children — all four — and was a good man, Francis explained. But Emanuele was grief-stricken, desperate to know whether his dad would go to heaven. 

The Holy Father said to those gathered: “What a beautiful witness of a son who inherited the strength of his father, who had the courage to cry in front of all of us.”

“If that man was able to make his children like that, then it’s true, he was a good man,” the Pope added.

Pope Francis asked the children in the audience if they thought God would abandon any boy or girl when they are good, and they all said in unison, “No!” 

“There, Emanuele, that is the answer,” the Holy Father told the boy. 

“God surely was proud of your father, because it is easier as a believer to baptize your children than to baptize them when you are not a believer. Surely this pleased God very much.”

3. Pope Francis kisses a baby suffering with a rare genetic disorder.

It was 2022, and Pope Francis was visiting Canada in a historic trip to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré Basilica in Quebec. Many travel there with the hopes of disabilities and illnesses being cured. Crutches can be seen all over the altar for this reason. 

Among the hundreds of Innu faithful was the Tshakapesh family, who traveled from Labrador: Simeon, his wife Ruby, and their granddaughter Everly, a baby with 3-M syndrome, a rare genetic disorder causing significant health challenges.

Pope Francis was presiding over morning Mass, and just as it was nearing the end, the Holy Father kissed baby Everly, holding her tenderly.  Her grandfather described the meoment as “once in a lifetime.”  Simeon Tshakapesh shared that the family’s journey from Happy Valley-Goose Bay was motivated by hope that the Pope would bless Everly, as she was facing a major surgery with her ongoing health struggles.

Simeon told CBC News at the time: “All we needed was for Everly to be blessed. I’m very pleased with that."

Baby Everly died on Dec. 6, 2022.

4. Little girl with a brain tumor is kissed by Pope Francis and her tumor shrinks. 

Another sweet kiss from the Holy Father took place when the Pontiff was stateside for his first and only trip to the United States during his pontificate. 

Having always dreamed of a second child, Kristen and Joey Masciantonio felt their prayers were answered when she became pregnant with a sister for 4-year-old son Dominic.

After the baby’s delivery on Sept. 17, 2014, at Doylestown Hospital in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the couple and their family rejoiced, believing the slight palsy on the left side of newborn’s mouth would disappear with time.

“She was so beautiful,” recalled Kristen to the Register at the time. “She had dark hair, big brown eyes and a perfect little rosebud mouth. We named her Gianna Grace after St. Gianna and our Blessed Mother. We never thought there was anything wrong with her.”

But dad and mom Joey and Kristen were devastated to learn that their newborn had a rare and aggressive brain-stem tumor, in the delicate spot where all neurons cross and communicate with each other and involuntary functions, such as breathing, are controlled.

After a year of praying and Rosaries offered for the baby's healing and aid, the family were blessed to attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia during the papal trip. 

While standing on the streets as the popemobile approached, the crowd urged the father to hold Gianna up high. The chants caught the attention of the Pope, and the vehicle stopped. 

When papal bodyguard Domenico Giani took the baby to Pope Francis for the now-famous blessing and kiss, the widely photographed moment catapulted little Gianna into the global spotlight and reduced onlookers to tears.

“The kiss, to us, was a sign that God had heard all of our ‘heart’ prayers,” Joey explained. “It was a small token of his unwavering support when we go through difficult times.”

If the Masciantonios saw the papal blessing as a special spiritual symbol, it turned out to be more than that. Incredibly, the November MRI was so markedly different from the previous ones: The tumor was barely visible.

Gianna is now in fourth grade and recently made her first Communion.

Mom Kristen reflected on the papal kiss again this week after the Pope died, telling the Bucks County Courier Times: “It felt like a blessing beyond words. His kiss gave us hope and the strength to keep fighting.” 

5. Girl with Down syndrome joins Pope Francis on stage. 

A little girl with Down syndrome stole the hearts and minds of millions when a  video showing the 5-year-old clinging to the finger of Pope Francis during an address in the Apostolic Palace went viral. 

The Holy Father held Gianna Pompili's hand, keeping her settled in front of the large audience. She climbed into his chair and sat to take it all in. Her parents beckoned her back, to no avail. 

Gianna shook her head at her mom and dad and said, “Papa,” getting the attention of Pope Francis. The little girl was part of a delegation that met the Holy Father ahead of the Special Olympics. 

6. Children approach the altar during Mass. 

That was not the first or last time that children have come toward the Holy Father at events around the globe. Children were often seen approaching Pope Francis as he held Mass or during general audiences. 

And often, the children were not asked to leave. 

A young girl in 2019 walked up to the Pope as he celebrated Mass, joyfully walking around and clapping her hands. On her shirt was written the word: “Love.” 

As security came closer to the stage to assess the situation, the Holy Father motioned to them to stop. 

“Let her stay,” the Pope said, adding, “God speaks for children. Let her stay; let her stay.”

7. Pope Francis makes an appearance in plain clothes during his post-hospital convalescence, earnestly wishing to speak to a little boy and kiss a baby.

And most recently and most pressing in many minds, the Holy Father was out and about in his wheelchair while still rehabilitating after his long, last hospital stay. Surprising the faithful, and wearing pants and a poncho, the Pontiff visited St. Peter’s Basilica, and viral videos show him approaching a young boy saying, “Te amo ...te amo?” 

The boy, not understanding, is finally told what the Pope is asking: for him to share his name. The conversation with the Pope, visibly frail and with a soft voice, doesn’t last long, but a hand has been held and an impression has been made on a young boy who will live with that memory forever. 

A little girl is also spoken to and embraced as the Holy Father is ushered along in that surprise visit. Similar moments took place during his last trip around St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.

The Holy Father was also seen blessing a baby. 

And that is how I will remember this Pope: a man of God with a mission to go out into the peripheries, despite his age and his frailty, his weakness and his sickness, to find and touch and love all he met along the way. 

And may we all be inspired to do the same.