Catholics in New Hampshire are among the millions of people across the world mourning Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic church, who died the morning of Easter Monday. As the first Latin American pope, Francis is remembered for his personal humility and advocacy for marginalized groups.
“We pray for his peaceful repose as we pray as well for the one whom God will choose to be our next Pontiff and Holy Father,” said Rev. Peter Libasci, the Bishop of the Manchester Diocese, in a statement.
Wendy Guerrero is one of the people praying. She works at the Multicultural Ministry of the Diocese of Manchester – a global initiative that was spearheaded by Pope Francis. Guerrero said she was sad when she heard the news and joined other employees of the diocese to pray for his soul on Monday.
Even after his passing, Guerrero hopes to follow Francis’ lead. She pointed to a saying from her Dominican background; “you only throw stones at mango trees that have fruits.” Francis was often a controversial figure within the church as he was outspoken on several issues – including climate change and immigration policy.
“A pope that was characterized for looking for marginalized groups will surely be attacked, but that doesn’t mean that we, as Catholics, are going to let that unnerve us,” she said in Spanish. “We’re simply going to fight more and raise our voices more.”
Sociology Professor Michele Dillon from the University of New Hampshire pointed out that Francis, who was from Argentina, was the first non-European pope since the eighth century. She added that the 88-year-old pope advocated to make the church more visible and inclusive.
As both a political and a religious leader, Dillon said that both Catholics and non-Catholics connected with Francis’ personal leadership style and charisma. She added he emphasized the importance of having church leaders knowing their people
“He used very visceral language, saying that shepherds need to smell like their flock,” she said. “They need to spend time with the people and get to understand the everyday circumstances and realities that people in their local area, in their diocese and in their parish, what they're experiencing, and that's the church's job is to accompany them.”
Now, she said that the church now enters into a nine-day mourning period and will then choose the next pope. As the bishops choose a new leader, Dillon expects the next pope will have to balance global issues, a growing number of people leaving the church, and maintaining the hierarchical structure of the church.
In New Hampshire, local believers are expected to gather Tuesday at noon at the St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Manchester to pray for Francis' soul.
