Pope Francis' lasting legacy is his championing of the poor, the sick, and the forgotten

One of the defining themes of Pope Francis’s papacy was a tireless advocacy for migrants and refugees in an increasingly divided world

It is fitting that the Pope died peacefully just hours after touring St Peter’s Square in the Popemobile to the delight of the many pilgrims and visitors who had travelled to the Vatican for Easter ceremonies. Picture: AP /Gregorio Borgia

At one level, Pope Francis died as he lived: simply and without fuss. The short statement from the Vatican early on Easter Monday noted the Pontiff had “returned to the Father’s house” — a reference to his profound belief  it is the world to come that matters more than this world.

At another level, his death was very public. And with hindsight, his whispered blessing "to the city and to the world" on Easter Sunday was a sort of goodbye to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.