On the death of Pope Francis

This morning we grieve the death of Pope Francis. It seems very appropriate that we are in the octave of Easter. As the Church we are like Mary Magdalene at the tomb, bereft, weeping, having lost our beloved brother. But we are also like Mary Magdalene because we are called to see that death is not the end, for we are resurrection people.

Today we mourn Pope Francis, but we also rejoice because he called us all to live the radical message of Christ, and his call will continue to echo throughout the Church and the world. Francis’ message of justice for the marginalized, his compassion for the broken, his call for the Church, for all of us, to truly repent and live the Gospel will live on.

The message of Easter is that Christ is risen and has conquered death, and we are called to make that a reality.

That was always the message of Pope Francis. May we honor his ministry and memory as we continue to go forth and live the transforming power of the Gospel. Amen