‘We do love him’: Local Catholic leaders react to the death of Pope Francis

Thoughtful personal recollections and empathetic reflections poured in from Catholic leaders across the Chicago area shortly after news of Pope Francis’ death arrived early Monday morning.

Among the first to do so was Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago.

“In this moment of profound loss for me personally and for the church, I take this moment to express our gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the gift of his papacy and to pray for the repose of his soul,” Cupich said in a statement. “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.”

Cupich will preside over a Memorial Mass for Francis at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St. in Chicago. The public is invited and no tickets are required, but the Mass will also be livestreamed at youtube.com/live/wbC9_Lxk_M4?feature=share.

“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,” Cupich added.

The Very Rev. Esequiel Sanchez, rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, said Francis was important for being the first pope from the Americas as well as his personal understanding of life as a member of an immigrant family in Argentina.

“As a Latin American, he’s very sensitive to the poor and the things that cause poverty,” Sanchez said. “It makes him profoundly aware of the mechanisms of power.”

He added Francis disagreed with labeling undocumented immigrants as “criminals,” saying it would be like using the same word to describe drivers with speeding tickets.

He was especially moved by the pope’s final public appearance on Easter Sunday for the papal blessing.

“He really wanted to do that, you can tell,” Sanchez said. “Looking back, you can almost tell it was his way of saying goodbye. He wants us all to be more genuine with our relationship with God.”

Sanchez said Francis’ respect for the traditions of the church may have been overlooked during his papacy. What may be needed next is someone who can bring everyone together, he added.

“Our task now is to pray for him,” Sanchez said of Francis. “We do love him. The church is more than an NGO, it’s a family.”

Sanchez presided over a Holy Hour of prayer Monday and a Requiem Mass at the Chapel of Saint Joseph at the Shrine at 1170 N. River Road in Des Plaines. The events can be watched at youtube.com/live/oBQUautb_6I?feature=share.

Bishop David Malloy of the Rockford Archdiocese acknowledged a political perception of Francis’ papacy but rejected its basis.

“During his Pontificate, many have sought to label the pontiff in political terms of being liberal or conservative,” Malloy said in a statement. “But because he fulfilled his papal calling as a witness to faith, those who sought to impose political categories upon his pontificate have been disappointed. In reality, Pope Francis was liberal with his love for God and conservative in keeping the teachings of the faith constant and consistent with the teaching of Jesus Himself.”

Michael Murphy, director of The Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University in Chicago, spoke to the significance of Francis being a Jesuit. From its earliest days, the order was intellectually oriented and focused on the rigor and quality of education as well as political justice.

“They’re in the cities,” he said. “They’re not up on the hilltop. The Jesuits are way more worldly. The great sin to them is vanity. The specter of power, the thing to avoid, is vanity.”

That’s among what made his election a surprise, Murphy said. The cardinals appeared to choose whom they thought might be least seeking the position.

But what’s interesting as the decision of selecting his successor nears is that 108 of the 135 voting cardinals were appointed by Francis during his papacy, he added.

“What you see is what you get with him,” Murphy said of the late spiritual leader with whom he’d personally worked. “A very genuine, authentic person. I’m going to miss him greatly.”

Bishop Ronald Hicks of the Diocese of Joliet called Francis a significant leader of both the Catholic church and the world.

“When he was elected, he took the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and for his concern for the poor,” Hicks said in a recorded statement. “His gifts, which are many, included living a life of humble service, loving everyone, (being) very approachable, compassionate, and had this outreach to the less fortunate including the poor, the hungry, the exiled, the forgotten, the unborn, the persecuted, and the list goes on and on.”

Hicks added that Francis had made a deep personal impression on him during the three occasions that they met.

“He was a bridger of gaps, and he was not afraid to address both spiritual topics and controversial topics,” he said.

Reactions came from even individual parishes Monday, including from Rev. John Trout, pastor of the St. Anne Catholic Community in Barrington, where a special memorial Mass began to be planned.

“Today, we join with millions around the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis,” Trout said in a statement. “His life was a testimony of faith, humility and unwavering devotion to God and the global church. May we recognize the profound influence he had in shaping spiritual conversations, promoting peace and pointing people toward Christ.”