Minnesota Catholics Mourn Pope Francis After His Death At Age 88

TWIN CITIES, MN — Tributes to Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88, poured in across the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda issued a statement expressing "profound sadness" at the news, calling the late pontiff’s life and leadership “a gift to Catholics and all people of good will.”

“How providential that our loving God would call Pope Francis home just as we begin our 50 days of celebrating Christ’s victory over sin and death,” Hebda said. He noted that Pope Francis’s Easter message, delivered just a day before his death, would long be remembered for its compassion toward those suffering from “the scourge of war and abandonment.”

Hebda, whom Pope Francis appointed as Archbishop in 2016, shared personal memories of the Holy Father’s support.

“I have fond memories this day of all the times that he assured me of his prayers for this Archdiocese,” Hebda said.

In response to the pope’s passing, Hebda called for a period of prayer across the Archdiocese. He asked local pastors to open their churches for anyone wishing to pray for Pope Francis and announced that he would celebrate a noon Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, the first of nine traditional Masses offered for the repose of the pope’s soul.

Hebda also invited Catholics to join him in praying for Pope Francis over the next nine days.

Bishop Robert Barron of the Winona-Rochester Diocese, a prominent Catholic leader and founder of the influential Word on Fire ministry, also reflected on Pope Francis’s life and impact.

"Pope Francis’ papacy was marked by two master themes: mercy and evangelization," Barron said in a statement.

"He reminded us that ‘the first task of a bishop is to pray.’ As we celebrate Pope Francis’s life and legacy, please join me in praying: Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace."

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 the first Jesuit elected to lead the Roman Catholic Church, Francis was known for his focus on serving the poor and marginalized, and his efforts to address global challenges like poverty 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.

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

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.

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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.