Pope Francis Dies at Age 88

Vatican City, IT (WJON News) -- Catholics in Minnesota and around the world are mourning the loss of Pope Francis.

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The 88-year-old passed away earlier today, about a month after leaving a hospital in Rome where he was treated for various respiratory ailments.

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Pope Francis' birth name was Jorge Bergoglio and he was born in Argentina.

He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first pope from outside Europe since the 8th Century. During his papacy, the Church faced several child sexual abuse cases involving about three-thousand priests, some of which dated back 50 years.

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Pope Francis made sweeping changes that allow for greater transparency.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud encompasses 12,251 square miles in 16 central Minnesota counties, with an estimated total population of 555,400.

The diocese currently includes 131 parishes with a combined Catholic population of about 123,475.

There are 27 elementary schools, and two high schools, Saint John’s University, the College of St. Benedict, and Saint John’s School of Theology.

Bishop Patrick M. Neary was appointed the 10th bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud on December 15, 2022.

Bishop Neary released the following statement:

It is with deep sadness that I received the news about the passing of Pope Francis. I was serving in Kampala, Uganda, when he was elected, and I was privileged to attend a talk he gave in Rubaga Cathedral when he visited Uganda in 2015.
To me, Pope Francis was a light shining in the darkness, a friend of the poor, and a prophet of God's mercy and justice. He envisioned the Church to be a field hospital that would meet human beings precisely where they are, just as Christ did. He called us to be better stewards of the earth. By introducing the synod on synodality, he reminded us of the need to lovingly encounter, listen, and discern together God's will for the Church.
On a personal note, I was so honored to meet him as a new bishop in September 2023 and felt not only his holiness but his humanness. He was just one of us. May he now rest from his labors, for his good deeds go with him.

Bishop Neary will celebrate the 12:05 p.m. Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud on Tuesday, April 22, in observance of the Holy Father’s death.

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U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar released the following statement on the passing of Pope Francis.

“John and I mourn the death of Pope Francis, who led the Catholic Church with humility and hope. He encouraged each and every one of us to consider our responsibility to uplift those most in need.
He did not just preach that value, he lived it. When I visited Vatican City in 2014, I saw him address the crowd gathered at St. Peter’s Square where he finished as he always did—by blessing those with disabilities first.
I was honored to be part of the escort committee that brought Pope Francis around the Capitol when he addressed Congress in 2015. That speech was a resounding call for us to put aside our differences and come together with a renewed spirit of cooperation in pursuit of the common good. One moment in particular stood out to me from that day – as the Pope was getting ready to address thousands of people gathered on the Mall, one of the security guards plucked a woman out with her baby, who Pope Francis blessed. He understood that faith exists in the moments big and small.
Pope Francis leaves behind a legacy of humility, compassion, and faith that will continue to inspire us all.”

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