Wisconsin Catholics Mourn Pope Francis After His Death At Age 88

MILWAUKEE, WI — Tributes to Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88, poured in across Wisconsin.

Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob mourned the loss of Pope Francis in a statement, praising the late pontiff’s "tremendous faith and vision" in leading the Catholic Church through many challenges over the past 12 years.

"Although we now grieve, we take solace in the words of the Risen Christ who told Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, ‘Do not be afraid,’" Grob said. "As people of faith, we turn to the One who is the Resurrection and the Life and ask him to receive Pope Francis into the halls of the heavenly banquet and to give him eternal rest."

Madison Bishop Donald Hying also remembered Pope Francis for "his evangelizing zeal, desire for peace in the world, and love for the poor."

Reflecting on the pope’s death during the Church’s Jubilee of Hope, Hying quoted from the papal document Spes Non Confundit, writing: "What, then, will become of us after death? With Jesus, beyond this threshold we will find eternal life, consisting in full communion with God as we forever contemplate and share in his infinite love."

"During this Octave of Easter and the Jubilee Year of Hope, I pray that he may know the fullness of Jesus’ Resurrection," Hying added.

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.