At 7:35 in the morning of April 21, Central European Summer Time (CEST), the 266th Pope and the first Jesuit Pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, SJ, also known as Pope Francis, passed away.
According to Cardinal Kevin Farrell, former Dallas Bishop, now the Chamberlain of the Holy See, “Dearest brothers and sisters… the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was devoted to service to the Lord and His Church.”
Archbishop of the Armed Forces Timothy Broglio recognized that Francis was “A Jesuit and a Shepherd” starting in his early years. He began humbly as a priest and then Bishop of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, Argentina, starting in the 1970s. During that time, he held vigil for those under false imprisonment during ‘the Dirty War,’ a period of civil strife in Argentina, where Francis grew to use his Jesuit vows to help all those in society be connected to God.
Bishop Malesic of the Diocese of Cleveland put out the diocese’s first statement through WKYC Cleveland, where he asked the congregation to “honor him by remembering God’s mercy and seeking it out. And may we demonstrate our love and mercy to others, just as he did.”
Malesic also noted that “As the first pope from the Americas, Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, and like his namesake, he lived a humble, simple and pious life, serving as an inspiration to the faithful around the world.”
As Malesic noted, Francis, as the first American Pope, has opened the European and Italian closed circles that once dominated the Papacy, which was emphasized in Francis’ “Dialogue on Synodality” efforts. These focused on how all members of the Catholic community from all parts of the world can be involved in the operations of the Church.
Francis, as both a traditionalist and a reformer in the Church, has attended to issues involving same-sex marriage and divorcees in the Church, as well as working through the sexual abuse scandals which rocked the Church throughout his tenure. He was especially interested in protecting immigrants, the poor and the environment, passions he stressed in his letter, “Laudato Si.” In respect of this letter, John Carroll University hosted the Envisioning a Livable Future event series, where speakers from around the country will continue to discuss issues of our common future and the Catholic Church’s role in it.
As Catholics around the world begin to mourn, instructions for days or mourning will likely be posted as a call for prayer, like the one released late this morning.
Over his 11 years as Holy Pontiff and Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis has certainly left his mark on both the Catholic Church and the wider world, which will seek to find someone in the coming days to fill the place in history that Francis has filled like no other before him.
