MD Leaders Remember Pope Francis For 'His Love For Poor, Marginalized'

MARYLAND — Tributes to Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88, poured in across Maryland, as leaders remembered his uplifting of marginalized communities.

"Pope Francis manifested his love for the poor and marginalized," Baltimore diocese Archbishop William E. Lori said in a statement to Catholic Review. "He lifted up the plight of migrants and refugees, victims of injustice, the sick and elderly, and global poverty. He elevated the voice of the Church in places considered 'remote' in major population centers. He called for the protection of the environment as God’s gift and as humanity’s common home."

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, archbishop of Washington, D.C., said: "Amidst our sadness at this death, we thank God for the penetrating grace that he has brought among us.”

Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital this February for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.

The pope emerged from his convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square and treat them to a surprise popemobile romp through the piazza, drawing wild cheers and applause as he continued his recovery from a near-fatal bout of double pneumonia.

“Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter!” Francis said, his voice sounding stronger than it has since he was released from the hospital on March 23.

History’s first Latin American pontiff and also the first Jesuit elected to head the Roman Catholic Church, Francis charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor, the marginalized and migrants but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change.

The Holy Father named himself after St. Francis of Assisi in deference to the saint’s humility and commitment to the poor and his message of peace. He lived in a simple two-room suite at the Vatican guesthouse rather than the more luxurious Apostolic Palace.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore will host a memorial Mass on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen.

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, archbishop of Washington, D.C., issued this statement to the Catholic Standard: “Today the Church and the world have lost a true shepherd of souls, a beacon of unwavering hope, and a voice of penetrating truth. From the very first moments of his service to the universal Church, Pope Francis enshrined the mercy of God at the heart of his proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In doing so, he illuminated with new depth the pastoral dimension of the Church’s mission, which is rooted first in embracing love rather than in judgment.

“It is this embracing love which led Pope Francis 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. It was this love, also, that animated his tender personal care for all those whom he encountered personally in their suffering — those who saw their life marked by failure, the sick, those suffering from addictions, the incarcerated, those who had lost their way in life. It was in these intimate moments of pastoral care that we saw with such poignancy the heart of the pastor who had embodied mercy and love to the suffering in Buenos Aires and refused to diminish that commitment even when the strictures of the papacy fell upon him.

“Pope Francis's vision of a synodal Church — the people of God journeying together, nourished by Word and Sacrament, missionary in its outreach, including all and animated by the participation of all, constantly renewing itself in the light of the Gospel — stands as an enduring legacy of Pope Francis in his fidelity to the Second Vatican Council and its call to preach the Gospel in the modern world. It provides a clear foundation for the journey of God’s people in the years which are to come.

“Yesterday we celebrated the victory of Christ over death itself, and the foundation for our conviction that we live on this earth on a journey that leads to eternity and the loving embrace of our God. Pope Francis lived that journey, preaching the Gospel and ennobling the world in which we live. Amidst our sadness at this death, we thank God for the penetrating grace that he has brought among us.”

Amid the priest sex abuse scandal, a crisis erupted over ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington and a counselor to three popes.

Francis had actually moved swiftly to sideline McCarrick amid an accusation he had molested a teenage altar boy in the 1970s. But Francis nevertheless was accused by the Vatican’s one-time U.S. ambassador of having rehabilitated McCarrick early in his papacy.

Francis eventually defrocked McCarrick after a Vatican investigation determined he sexually abused adults as well as minors. He changed church law to remove the pontifical secret surrounding abuse cases and enacted procedures to investigate bishops who abused or covered for their pedophile priests, seeking to end impunity for the hierarchy.

Gov. Wes Moore said he and the first lady "join millions across Maryland, our country, and the world in mourning his passing."

"Pope Francis – the People’s Pope – led with humility, compassion, and love for all people," Moore said on X, formerly Twitter. "I will be forever grateful for his spiritual leadership and the legacy he leaves behind."

District 1 Congressman Andy Harris said on X that he and his wife "mourn the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis and send prayers of strength to those in grief. May his legacy of ministry and charity continue to be an inspiration to us all. Rest in peace."

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!”

The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has offered prayers and condolences for Francis to his spiritual brothers, sisters and followers around the world.

He said in a letter that Francis had dedicated himself to the service of others, “consistently revealing by his own actions how to live a simple, but meaningful life. The best tribute we can pay to him is to be a warm-hearted person, serving others wherever and in whatever way we can.”

The first formal liturgical ritual for Francis will occur at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) on Monday with the confirmation of the pope's death and the placement of the body in the coffin.

The Vatican released the announcement from Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the master of liturgical ceremonies. The presiding prelate is Cardinal Joseph Farrell, the camerlengo who has taken over the administration of the Holy See and will remain in charge until a new pope is elected.

Those invited to attend the ceremony, which will take place in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where Francis lived, are the dean of the College of Cardinals, any relatives of the pope, the director and vice director of the Vatican's health department.

The body rests in the pope's personal chapel for the ritual pronouncement of death, presided over by the camerlengo, the Vatican official who runs the Holy See administration between the death or resignation of one pope and the election of another.

For the public, the cardinal archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, is expected to lead a recitation of the Rosary prayer in St. Peter's Square later Monday.

According to the new rites and rituals Francis approved last year, the body will remain in the chapel for a few days before being brought for public viewing in St. Peter's Basilica. After that, there will be the funeral and conclave to elect a new pope.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.