‘He brought me closer to the Catholic Church’: Leaders mourn Pope Francis

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - People gathered throughout the day to pay their respects to Pope Francis.

Francis, 88, died on Easter Monday of a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure.

On Monday afternoon, worshipers gathered at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for a daily mass that honored Francis.

“I know that I may not have continued if not for Pope Francis,” said Heather Holley, who attended the service. “I just felt that I owed him this respect that I could give him.”

Holley said she hasn’t always gone to church, but it was Francis who brought her back to the pews.

“He’s brought me closer to the Catholic church,” Holley said. “He will be so missed because his influence was so great, and the way he spoke about immigrants and other people, the LGBTQ community, how we are truly just supposed to love one another.”

Holley hopes his legacy will live on for generations to come.

“He definitely changed the church, I believe, for the better,” Holley said. “I hope the new Pope is someone who can carry Pope Francis’ ideals, his voice, someone who can just continue to bring different folks into the doors.

Across state lines, Archbishop Joseph Naumann reflected on his relationship with Francis.

“We’ve lost a good Sheppard, but the Lord will raise up another one. We are all here just for a season,” Naumann said. “Anybody that was hurting, I think he had this great comion for.”

Naumann said Francis was a man of the people. He was comionate, merciful, and kind. He was an advocate for the less fortunate, immigrants, and the unborn.

“I think many people could relate to him and felt that he cared about them,” Naumann said. “In particular, the people and culture in society that might be considered on the margins, or insignificant. But I think Pope Francis had great respect and care for them.”

While Naumann is shocked by his death, he finds beauty in Francis dying on Easter Monday.

“He had good timing to die during the Easter Octave, the time where we’re focused on Jesus’ victory over death,” Naumann said. “Pray that the Holy Spirit is going to raise up a new successor, leader, a new Shepard to lead the church.”

READ MORE: ‘I am quite shocked’: Bishop Johnston reacts to Pope Francis’ death

Father Paul Sappington, then a seminarian, traveled with Bishop Johnston to Rome in 2020. All three can be seen in the photo of Pope Francis holding a signed Patrick Mahomes jersey.

“The Pope gave a thumbs up, kind of looking down,” said Sappington. “He then went on to say how important sport is. He said for men studying for the priesthood, it’s important that you play team sports. He said you don’t need any individualistic priests, but we want priests who are men of community, men that like to spend time with others.”

Sappington re Pope Francis encouraging them and advising them to build up their community.

“Being as the disciples did, which is in community with one another relying on God’s grace but also on the brotherhood to make it through,” said Sappington. “To grow closer to Christ to be able to serve him well and also the people of God.”

When he heard of the Pope’s death, Sappington says he felt mixed emotions.

“I was saddened,” said Sappington. “Death was not part of God’s original plan. Death only entered the world because of sin. Anytime death occurs, it feels like something is off and it is because something is off. To have his death occur during the Easter season, the Easter week, is really special. We celebrated Jesus destroying death yesterday by rising from the dead. There is always hope with death, especially for Christians. I feel sad, hope. He was well prepared to meet his Lord and maker.”

As people across the world come together to honor the life and legacy of ‘The People’s Pope,’ Sappington shared his thoughts on the pope’s legacy.

“He was always one to lift up the poor, to reach out to those who may be outcasts in society,” said Sappington. “He was always seen a somebody who had a lot of charity for those less fortunate. I think his prolonged legacy is yet to be seen.”

Pope Francis’ death comes as the Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee Year. The pope designated 2025 as a time of “Pilgrims of Hope”, and encouraged renewal in faith, pilgrimage, and reconciliation.

“Everything that we hope and desire for is summed up in the Our Father,” said Sappington. “I think that would be a fitting homage. To prayer the Our Father for the happy repose of Pope Francis’ soul. I think one of the first things he said when he became Pope was that Jesus never gets tired of forgiving us. We get tired of asking him for forgiveness. So, if you find yourself in that spot of having felt far away from God, far away from the church, and you haven’t asked for forgiveness, it would be a fitting homage. I think he would appreciate that step towards reconciliation to receive forgiveness. I think those are good ways to honor him, pray for him, mourn him at this time.”

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