North Texas Catholics are celebrating the life of Pope Francis, who died at 88 on Easter Monday.
North Texas Catholics are celebrating the life of Pope Francis, who died at 88 on Easter Monday.
North Texas Catholics are celebrating the life of Pope Francis, who died at 88 on Easter Monday.
DALLAS — Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday at the age of 88, just one day after blessing the faithful from St. Peter’s Square on Christianity’s holiest day.
His death follows a 38-day hospitalization due to double pneumonia.
Across the world, and in Dallas, Catholic communities gathered in mourning, but also in reflection on the legacy of a pope remembered for his compassion, humility and bold calls for justice.
“He was so unlike the other popes,” said Father Joshua Whitfield of St. Rita Catholic Community in Dallas. “Pope Francis spoke his mind. He spoke for people in the margins. He reminded us of those more challenging pieces of our faith.”
At the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Downtown Dallas, worshippers filled the pews Monday at a noon mass. The timing of his death — just after Easter — was not lost on Bishop Edward J. Burns of the Diocese of Dallas.
“We were talking about how fitting it is that Pope Francis would pass on Easter Monday,” Burns said. “The entire church is forced to continue to look at the celebration of the resurrection as if to say, don’t look at me. And his goal as the universal Shepherd always look to Christ.”
Burns recalled moments that showcased the pope’s care for Texans, including a deeply personal gesture following the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso. During a meeting, Burns said Pope Francis stopped the conversation to summon an aide. Moments later, he handed Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso a white bag containing 23 rosaries — one for each of the victims’ families.
“I saw how Pope Francis had a distinct care and concern for the people in Texas and how he reached out,” Burns said.
The Argentine-born pontiff was elected in 2013 as the 266th pope and the first from the Americas. His papacy was marked by a pastoral style that resonated with people far beyond the Vatican.
“He definitely lived out the zeal of life,” Burns said. “He challenged every one of us to do the same, and it’s so captivating.”
Edna Ruano, a Dallas parishioner who once saw the pope during a visit to Washington, D.C., said his passing brings a sense of both sorrow and serenity.
“Overwhelming gratitude and thankfulness,” she said through tears. “I had a chance to see him when I worked in Washington D.C. when he visited the White House and the Capitol.”
As the Church begins the process of mourning and transition, many Catholics find themselves hopeful — inspired by a pope who consistently reminded them to be so.