OSV News – Pope Francis, who died April 21 at age 88, “will long be remembered for his outreach to those on the margins of the Church and of society,” Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement shared in the first hours after the Pope’s death.
“He renewed for us the mission to bring the Gospel out to the ends of the earth and offer divine mercy to all. He has also taken advantage of the present Jubilee to call us to a profound hope: one that is not an empty or naïve hope, but one grounded in the promise of Almighty God to be with us always,” Archbishop Broglio wrote.
Bishops around the United States began issuing tributes to Pope Francis and his 12-year pontificate shortly after the news of his death April 21, Easter Monday. He died at the Vatican 7:35 a.m. Rome time.
Pope Francis had been recovering from pneumonia and respiratory infections after having been released from Rome’s Gemelli hospital March 23 following more than five weeks of treatment.
Bishops pointed to Pope Francis’ historic and key contributions and shared their personal appreciations.
“Even with his roots in the Piedmont region of Italy, the first Pope from our American Continent was marked by his experience as a Jesuit and a shepherd in Buenos Aires. He brought that experience and vision with him to his ministry for the universal Church,” said Archbishop Broglio, who is also head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services. “Recently, he expressed anew prayerful hope in his letter of support to the Bishops of this country in our attempts to respond to the face of Christ in the migrant, poor, and unborn. In fact, he has always used the strongest and clearest expressions in the defense of the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death.”
Nodding to the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope Pope Francis inaugurated Dec. 24, Archbishop Broglio said he last saw the Pope at the Jubilee Mass for the Armed Forces, Police and Security Personnel, held at the Vatican Feb. 8-9, just days before the Pope was admitted to the hospital Feb. 14.
Standing in New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where a portrait of Pope Francis was flanked by lit candles alongside an empty chair draped with purple and white stoles, Cardinal Timothy P. Dolan of New York shared informal reflections on Pope Francis during a morning Mass.
“Beyond the sorrow, the sadness that we feel at the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, we express our faith in the resurrection of Jesus,” he said before the Mass’ opening prayer. In his homily, he called attention to Pope Francis’ last public words being his Easter blessing.
“Yes we are sad, but we are filled with Easter joy,” Cardinal Dolan said. “When we believers are kind of a little lost and don’t know quite what to do, we always rely on prayer. Here we are, this second day of Easter, this Easter Monday, hearing the news of our Holy Father passing over. Here we are at the greatest prayer of all, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, which we offer, asking the Lord’s mercy on his immortal soul, thanking God for the gift that he was to us, and asking for consolation upon God’s family.”
Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago called Pope Francis’ death “a moment of profound loss for me personally and for the Church.”
“The finest memorial we can offer is to re-form our hearts as Pope Francis asked – to see our brothers and sisters, to listen to them and to offer our prayers and actions that all may experience the fullness of God’s promise,” said Cardinal Cupich, who served in several Vatican dicasteries under Pope Francis. “As we mourn his passing, I ask that God comfort us, but also strengthen us to remain steadfast in carrying on the work of restoring our Church’s place in the world as a source of hope and an advocate for those in need.”
Archbishop Richard G. Henning of Boston said that Pope Francis’ “legacy as Holy Father is broad and deep” and his example “remains a guiding light to the Universal Church.”
“In his ministry and across his writings, he has continuously called us to deeper faith and to a more generous participation in the boundless compassion of God,” Archbishop Henning, whom Pope Francis last year appointed to succeed Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley as leader of the Boston Archdiocese, wrote in a statement. “He has challenged us to turn away from selfish impulses and towards communion with others and respect for God’s creation.”
Bishop David A. Zubik of Pittsburgh praised Pope Francis’ pontificate, writing, “Pope Francis led the Church with extraordinary humility, compassion, and courage. He reminded us that mercy is at the heart of the Gospel, and he consistently called us to encounter one another with tenderness and care – especially the poor, the suffering, and the forgotten. His voice echoed far beyond the walls of the Church, inviting people of all backgrounds to walk together in peace, justice, and love.”
In his personal encounters with Pope Francis, he said, “what struck me most was not just the dignity of his office, but the warmth of his heart.”
“His attention to each person, his gentle spirit, and his genuine kindness left a lasting impression on me and so many others,” Bishop Zubik continued in his April 21 statement. “He was a shepherd who smelled like his sheep – and the world is better for it.”
Bishop David J. Walkowiak of Grand Rapids, Michigan, one of the first bishops Pope Francis appointed during his pontificate, said in a statement, “Pope Francis sought to break down barriers and draw people into an encounter with Christ in the Catholic Church.”
“Like Jesus, he served those whom the world often considered outcasts. He challenged priests to be shepherds with the ‘smell of the sheep,’ and constantly reminded us of the dignity of the unborn, migrants and refugees, and prisoners,” he said. “He was a man of action, ministering to the homeless in Rome, visiting refugee camps, and washing the feet of prisoners. His pastoral heart, use of relatable language, and witness to serving people on the margins stand as an example for all people.”
Archbishop Robert G. Casey of Cincinnati, who was installed April 3, also pointed to the Jubilee Year and its call for hope as he marked Pope Francis’ death.
“As we commend a good and faithful servant to God, let us remember that Pope Francis proclaimed 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope – awakening us to Christ, who is alive and present in our midst,” he wrote, adding Psalm 27:14: “Hope in the Lord! Hold firm, take heart, and hope in the Lord!”
“May we, then, be filled with hope – hope that Pope Francis will receive the reward of a life poured out in selfless service and love for God’s people and all creation; hope that Christ, who comforts us in our mourning, will send the Holy Spirit to be our Helper; and hope that this same Spirit will inspire and unite us as the Church to stand firm in faith, proclaiming the power of the Resurrection and the joy of the Gospel,” Archbishop Casey said.
Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami recalled that one of Pope Francis’ first actions after his election was a pastoral trip outside Rome to African migrants who had washed ashore in their boat at Lampedusa, a small Italian island. “He never tired of defending the displaced migrant nor embracing the marginalized or excluded,” Archbishop Wenski said.
At a time when “scandals had undermined people’s trust in society’s institutions, whether political, academic, economical or religious,” the archbishop said, the Pope “defied the institutional ‘norms’ of the Papal court: he carried his own valise, refused to be chauffeured in limousines, and eschewed symbols of pomp and circumstance, living not in the Apostolic Palace but in a room at the Vatican’s ‘hotel.’ In this way, he inspired many to give the Church a second look.”
In an X post, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said Pope Francis had the “heart of a pastor.” “A pastor always wants to be with his people,” he said, adding, “So many will miss this man.”
“Just yesterday, he greeted the crowds in Rome, as if to say farewell to the People of God whom he loved so dearly and served so devotedly,” Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori said in a statement. He said the Pope’s designation of 2025 as a Jubilee of Hope “focused on the hope that is ours in Christ Jesus, was a much needed tonic for Church and world. … Often the Holy Father would ask visitors to pray for him. I am sure he would want us to pray for him now that he may rest in the peace of the Risen Lord.”
“From his many apostolic visits around the globe to be among his flock, to his inspiring teachings, to his consistent call for peace and social justice,” Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez said, “Pope Francis invited all people to encounter the person of Jesus Christ fully and to serve their brothers and sisters with love and humility as instruments of grace. The life and Petrine Ministry of Pope Francis was a true blessing to the world. May his example bring us to embrace God’s plan for each of us to serve Christ’s Church on earth as Missionary Disciples.”
Pope Francis, by his example, “touched the untouchables, embraced those from whom many recoil, and spoke directly in an understandable language, trying to reach a world in turmoil,” said Metropolitan Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. “For many he brought God closer. I am most grateful for his call to the world to pray for peace and justice in Ukraine. He did so hundreds of times – more so than any world leader. His summons was heard on all continents.”
The archbishop said that during his “privileged personal encounters” with Francis, he always found the pontiff “to be open and ever-joyful despite the heavy responsibilities he carried and the intractable global problems that he faced.”
Phoenix Bishop John P. Dolan said the Pope was a man who “truly listened – not only to the faithful within the Church but to people of all faiths and goodwill. He reminded us that even those without faith in God could offer their kind thoughts, and he humbly welcomed them.”
He said he was particularly moved by Francis’ “deep concern for the oppressed, the poorest of the poor, and those who struggle with mental health. His witness to Christ’s love and mercy brought hope to so many who felt forgotten.”
Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, said, “The Holy Father consistently emphasized care for our common home and human fraternity: the need to see one another as brothers and sisters. We would do well to learn from his wisdom.”
“As a pastor, Pope Francis was committed to leading our Church in a synodal way, urging all pastors to accompany their flocks – especially the poor and marginalized – as we minister to a world in desperate need of Christ’s peace and love,’ said Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis. “Pope Francis had an unwavering passion and devotion to the faith, to the Church and to the people of God everywhere.”
Many bishops ended their statements with traditional prayers for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul and hope for his eternal rest.
“The passage from this life of the Bishop of Rome calls us to pray for his eternal rest and to continue on our path to a deeper union with the Lord Jesus,” Archbishop Broglio said, noting how all the bishops were uniting in prayer for them. “We remember his leadership in inspiring nations, organizations, and individuals to a renewed commitment to care for each other and our common home.”
“Even as Pope, he didn’t put himself ahead of others, but embodied the term ‘servant leader,'” said Bishop Edward C. Malesic of Cleveland. “I ask all the faithful to pray for the peaceful repose of the soul of Pope Francis. May Pope Francis rest in the love and peace of Christ.”
In Texas, Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville posted on X, “With profound gratitude for the life and Petrine ministry of Pope Francis, For his unflinching desire to give himself to the mission, ‘hasta que Dios diga,’ With great sorrow at his passing: ‘The souls of the just are in the hands of God,’ May he rest in peace from his labors.”
“It is fitting that the Lord has called Pope Francis to Himself on this first day of the Easter season,” said Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, Alabama. “With faith in the Lord’s promise of eternal life, we entrust our Holy Father to the love and mercy of God. May the Lord welcome Pope Francis home with those words found in the Bible: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
This story is developing and will be updated.
Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News.
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