Catholics throughout the San Diego area joined the global faithful Monday to mourn the passing of Pope Francis, who died at 7:35 a.m. Rome time at the Vatican — one day after Easter — at age 88, and “returned to the home of the Father,” according to Cardinal Kevin Farrell, a Vatican spokesman.
The administrator of the Diocese of San Diego, Auxiliary Bishop Michael Pham, released a statement Monday saying, “The Holy Father cared deeply for all of us, but especially for people living at the margins of our society.
“He was never afraid to speak out and remind us that we all share the gifts of God’s love and mercy, to show his determination that we care for one another, that we put our faith in action, that we show respect in how we treat our fellow women and men, and how we treat the environment around us,” Pham said.
“The Pope had a special affection for our border community, and always expressed concern for the immigrants who journeyed through it.”
Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO at Catholic nonprofit Father Joe’s Villages, said Francis “will forever be remembered for his humility and for his deep compassion, especially for our most vulnerable neighbors across the world.”
“We celebrate his lifetime of service to the Lord and to all of humanity,” Vargas said. “Let us all live by his example in serving our neighbors without judgment and always with the deepest love. May Pope Francis bask in the loving embrace of our Lord.”
Former San Diego Cardinal Robert McElroy, now archbishop of the Washington diocese, praised Francis for “embracing love” which led the pope “to be a prophetic advocate for the poor and the dispossessed, the unborn and the immigrant, the victims of war and the earth which is our common home.”
Politicians saluted Francis as well.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria shared on X: “San Diego joins the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis – a humble leader, a voice for progress, and a champion for the vulnerable around the world. His legacy of compassion and hope will live on. Rest in peace, Holy Father.”
Rep. Mike Levin, whose district covers parts of San Diego and Orange counties, honored Francis on X, saying “as pope, he made tremendous humanitarian strides, including waging groundbreaking efforts to address climate change. May his legacy serve as a reminder of what compassionate and courageous leadership looks like.”
Francis was diagnosed with chronic lung disease and had part of a lung removed when he was younger. He was admitted to a hospital on Feb. 14 for a respiratory episode that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days in the hospital and made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, blessing the faithful in St. Peter’s Square while sitting in a wheelchair.
He served as pope for 12 years and set a different tone for the papacy, focusing on humility for a Catholic Church facing scandals and accusations of indifference.
The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio became pope on March 13, 2013, and succeeded Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis’ election.
Francis reached out to the LGBTQ+ community and cracked down on traditionalists, which created tension with conservatives in the Catholic Church.
He was pope during the coronavirus pandemic and asked his followers to use it as an opportunity to review the economic and political framework that he said was turning the wealthy against the impoverished.
“We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented,” Francis told an empty St. Peter’s Square in March 2020.
Part of his message included stressing the need for “all of us to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other.”
City News Service contributed to this article.
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