Everything’s Coming Up Francis

Staff, April 22, 2026

Yesterday, April 21st, was the 1-year anniversary of the passing of Pope Francis, and the world is honoring him in a rich and wide variety of ways. Below are just a few:

• Up first, the Vatican has just released a new documentary on Francis called “Todos, todos, todos!” This 27-minute documentary is dedicated to the highlights of the late pontiff’s life and legacy. Watch it on YouTube here.
• In other film news, Papa Francis had been working with film legend Martin Scorsese on a project reflecting on the pair’s shared vision of art, spirituality, and humanity. The film, titled, Aldeas, the Final Dream of Pope Francis privately premiered yesterday at the Vatican. Shot across Italy, Indonesia, the Gambia, and Vatican City, the film was organized by the educational movement Scholas Occurrentes, a global educational movement founded by the Pope. Francis said it is “an extraordinarily poetic and deeply transformative project, because it reaches the very root of human life: our sociability, our conflicts, and the very essence of life’s journey.” Keep an eye on Scholas Occurrentes for details on how to watch.
• On the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ death, Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to his predecessor while aboard the papal plane traveling from Angola to Equatorial Guinea, praising Francis’ commitment to the poor and his preaching on God’s mercy. “So many times what he did was live truly being close to the poorest, the smallest, the sick, children, the elderly,” he said.
• Masses in memory of Francis were held across the world, including his favored Roman sanctuary, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, as well as at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica, and of course in Argentina, at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Luján, where Francis made many pilgrimages from Buenos Aires.

Let us pray for Pope Francis, as Pope Leo requested, that “he is still enjoying the mercy of the Lord.”