(ST> LOUIS) The Vatican announced early Monday that Pope Francis died at age 88. St. Louis Archbishop Michell Rozanski scheduled a special Mass at noon Monday at the Cathedral Basilica.
Rozanski also issued this statement: “We now commend to God the soul of Pope Francis and give thanks for the great gift that he has been to the
Church, particularly over these past 12 years. Pope Francis’ service as a Jesuit priest, then bishop and Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and his election as our Holy Father has been marked by great humility. His unceasing concern for the poor demonstrated to us how we may live out of the Gospel in our world.
In the words of his encyclical Evangelii Gaudium/The Joy of the Gospel, “the Church which ‘goes forth’ is a community of missionary disciples who take the first step, who bear fruit and rejoice.” As shepherd of the universal Church, Pope Francis lived these words until his passing into eternity.
May Pope Francis, who labored in the Lord’s vineyard here on earth, now know the fullness of peace promised to us by our Savior, Jesus Christ! Let us pray to the Heavenly Father that eternal rest may be granted unto him.”
Springfield, Illinois Bishop Thomas Paprocki released this statement on Monday morning: “Today, our church mourns and prays. Pope Francis showed what it means to be a witness of love. This is beautifully reflected is his fourth and final Encyclical Letter, issued October 24, 2024, Dilexit nos, Latin for ‘He loved us,’ quoting Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans, in which he wrote that Christians can overcome all adversities through
Him [Jesus} who loved us’ (Romans 8:37).
“Pope Francis challenged the world daily through his words and actions that we are all called to something greater, not of this world, but the next. His life was a testament that if we are to go to heaven, we must embrace our crosses and sacrifices, and we must live an authentic Catholic life. That means we must show empathy, compassion, and love to our neighbors. We must live humbly and selflessly. We are called to care for the poor, the afflicted, the sick, and the marginalized. Finally, we must pray, hold true to the
Gospels, and participate in the greatest treasure Jesus gave to us: His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity – present in the Holy Eucharist at Mass.
“I had the honor of meeting Pope Francis during my ad limina visit in Vatican City in 2019. I was struck by his joy. He spoke to me and my brother bishops not as a boss, but as a fellow ‘apostle,’ tasked with the same mission all priests have – to passionately advance our faith.
“As I look back on his pontificate, one of the most powerful scenes I have witnessed occurred in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Vatican City, against a backdrop of St. Peter’s Basilica, heavy rain, darkening skies, and not a soul around, Pope Francis prayed for the world, holding up the Blessed Sacrament during his “Urbi et Orbi” (To the City and the World) blessing. Pope Francis taught us in that powerful moment that amongst all the trials, fear, uncertainty, stresses, violence, and hatred inthis world, we must always turn to God, praying with a heart of full of love and hope, saying, ‘Jesus, I trust in You.’
“We are united as people of faith, praying for his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, our Church, and that the Holy Spirit will guide us in the upcoming conclave when cardinals meet to choose Pope Francis’ successor.”
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