Local church-goers mourn the death of Pope Francis

The 266th pope passed away on Easter Monday at his residence in Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City at 7:35 a.m. The 88-year-old’s death was caused by a stroke that put him in a coma and led to heart failure. 

Previously hospitalized for six weeks in February due to double pneumonia, Pope Francis surprised viewers on April 6 with his appearance at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Rome. The Pope reappeared once more on Sunday, April 20 to deliver his traditional Easter blessing before he died the following day. 

Since then, there has been an outpour of condolences from people around the world, including members of the Kingsbridge and Riverdale community.

“He is of course a respected figure and many of his opinions and approaches for the world were very much in line with what we as Episcopalians would believe as well,” said Carol Burrel, congregation member of the Church of The Mediator on 231st Street. 

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Dec. 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to two Italian immigrants, he was the first Latin American pope in Catholic history to take the holy position. Pope Francis was praised for his modern ideologies which inspired many regardless of religious beliefs.

Elected to his position back in 2013, the public grew fond of the Pope’s progressive perspectives, particularly surrounding LGBTQ rights and climate change. 

“If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?" The Pope once told a group of reporters on a flight back home from Brazil in 2013. This statement marked the beginning of his support for the LGBTQ community and his efforts to move the Catholic Church towards a more inclusive environment.

He gained support for this stance on climate change when he published “Laudato Si”  (Praise Be to You) in 2015. In the Encyclical letter, he addressed the climate crisis and advocated for environmental stewardship. 

“We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all,” an excerpt from the letter read. 

Pope Francis also called for change in the kinds of roles women could hold within the Catholic Church, appointing the first female prefect of a Vatican dicastery and the first female president of the Vatican City State’s government in 2025. Despite these changes that came late in his papacy, Pope Francis did little to ensure women could become priests or deacons, upholding the Church’s ban on ordaining women. 

Despite his modern approaches and advocacy for social justice, Pope Francis was criticized for his lack of action surrounding matters of sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church. 

Although he addressed action be taken against sexual abuse within the church, in 2015, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno to the dismay of many Chilean Catholics. Bishop Osorno was accused of covering up the sexual abuse crimes of his mentor, Rev. Fernando Karadima, in Chile who was found guilty of the crimes in 2011.

As a result, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) held a press conference in Rome on April 30.

“Abuse survivors do not want to see another conclave that elects a pope who has shielded and covered up for clergy offenders,” Sarah Pearson said on behalf of SNAP.

Despite these points of conflict, members of the Catholic Church felt Pope Francis’ papacy stayed true to the Catholic Church’s teachings. 

“The legacy of Pope Francis is that he did not change any doctrines of our Catholic faith, but he sought to make the perennial teachings of the gospel more applicable to the real life experience of today's world,” Father Sean Connelly of The Church of St. Margaret of Cortona told The Press. “He dispelled the notion that God's grace is only available to those who have attained a certain degree of moral perfection.” 

For residents in the area looking to attend mass in commemoration of Pope Francis, the Parish of St. John Visitation will be holding a bilingual memorial mass on Saturday, May 3 at 11:00 a.m. 

“This will be an opportunity for us to pray for the soul [of Pope Francis and] also pray for the new pope to be elected,” said Pastor Kerrigan of St. John’s. 

The papal enclave will begin proceedings to elect a new pope on Wednesday, May 7.