‘With deep sorrow,’ Catholic leaders in northern Illinois mourn death of Pope Francis

The Vatican announced the death of Pope Francis early Monday morning and church leaders in northern Illinois reacted to his passing.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope in church history, was 88 years old and served for 12 years, elected to the office in March 2013.

“With deep sorrow today, we received the news of Pope Francis’ passing. As we mourn the loss of our Holy Father, let us come together in prayer, remembering that he has passed during this Jubilee Year of Hope,” Bishop Ronald Hicks, leader of the Diocese of Joliet, said in a written statement.

The Joliet Diocese covers DuPage, Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, Kankakee, Kendall and Will counties.

“Pope Francis will long be remembered for his outreach to those on the margins of the Church and of society,” Hicks stated.

“He renewed for us the mission to bring the Gospel out to the ends of the earth and offer divine mercy to all. Pope Francis also took the opportunity 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. This is a providential moment for us witnessing that our Holy Father has died so soon after the celebration of Easter, the season of our Lord’s resurrection. Together with great gratitude, hope and faith, let us pray: ‘Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him,’ ” Hicks said.

Bishop David J. Malloy, leader of the Diocese of Rockford, similarly issued a written statement.

The Rockford Diocese includes Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Kane, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago.

“With the news today of the death of Pope Francis, I join with the faithful of the Diocese of Rockford and with the Church throughout the world that mourns his passing,” he said.

“Pope Francis, by living and preaching simply, sought to remind the world of the love of God and the love we must have for each other. He sought to raise up the plight of the poor and of refugees and immigrants, especially those fleeing violence and oppression. Pope Francis reminded the world of the goodness and sacredness of creation and the environment.

“But he reminded us as well that the human person is the highest good of creation and that we are the special recipients of God’s love,” Malloy’s statement continued. “For that reason, he was a tireless witness of the right to life of the child in the womb and of those close to death. He emphasized the gift of gender given to every person as part of creation, and its link to the family.”

Malloy called Pope Francis’ life and vocation “a lesson to the world in this moment” and said the Jubilee Year, with its theme stressing Christian Hope, will be a final testament to his legacy.

“I pray for the repose of the soul of the Holy Father,” he stated.

The pontiff’s last public appearance was at an Easter service on Sunday where he blessed the gathered crowd of thousands in St. Peter Square.

This morning, Vatican Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced the pope’s passing at the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where the pope’s living quarters are, according to the Associated Press.

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father,” Farrell said, as reported by the Associated Press. “His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church.”

Francis had a long history of lung problems, starting when he needed to have part of his right lung removed as a young man in the 1950s following a bout of pneumonia.

He suffered from chronic lung disease and was admitted Gemelli hospital in Rome on Feb. 14 this year, where he remained with severe respiratory infections – including double pneumonia – for 38 days. He was released in late March and made a few public appearances over the last few weeks of his life.

Throughout his papacy Francis made many headlines and drew occasional controversy for what were viewed by many as progressive opinions on climate change, immigration and LGBT acceptance.

Malloy addressed some of the issues in his statement on Monday.

“During his Pontificate, many have sought to label the pontiff in political terms of being liberal or conservative. 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,” the Rockford bishop stated.

In his final days, Pope Francis notably sent an emissary to a planned meeting with American Vice President JD Vance, during which the Vatican said “an exchange of ideas” was had, regarding issues including treatment of refugees and immigrants, as reported by the Associated Press.

Pope Francis had previously rebuked claims about Catholic doctrine made by Vance, though the two did briefly meet on Easter, one day before the Pope’s death, as reported by the Associated Press.

Following the pope’s passing, the church will begin the process of first mourning Pope Francis, then selecting his successor, a process which involves the world’s cardinals – including Cardinal Blase Cupich, leader of the Archdiocese of Chicago – traveling to Rome for a conclave where a new leader of the church will be selected by a secret ballot.

The process of selecting a new pope will likely take weeks, with Cardinals first needing to gather at the Vatican and multiple ballots usually being necessary for a decision to be reached, according to the Associated Press.

Pope Francis was elected after five ballots, following the resignation of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected after four ballots.

Dioceses plan Masses for Pope Francis

The Diocese of Joliet announced it will hold a special remembrance Mass for Pope Francis at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet.

The service will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Dennis E. Spies on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. following the Jubilee Year Reconciliation services offered from 6 p.m. to 7.

“We gather, as the people of the Diocese of Joliet, to pray for our Holy Father Pope Francis who has been called to the heavenly kingdom, may he now be rejoicing at the banquet table of heaven,” the Diocese said in the announcement of the service.

The Diocese of Rockford is also honoring the pope with a special Mass this week.

Bishop Malloy will also hold a special service at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rockford on Friday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m.

Both services are open to all local Catholics.