CHARLOTTE — Catholics around the world are mourning Pope Francis.
Here in Charlotte, Catholics gathered for Monday mass and told Channel 9 why they’re sad and still hopeful for the church’s future.
“It was a shock. My wife was listening to the radio and she said she thought the Pope had died,” parishioner Pat McLaughlin said. He’s been attending St. Gabriel Church on Providence Road for two decades.
McLaughlin said the news was unexpected after the Pope made appearances on Easter Sunday.
“I don’t think they were expecting him to die, especially after he got out of the hospital and was making an appearance and things like that, so it was pretty shocking,” McLaughlin said.
Pope Francis’ leadership and legacy, a controversial one for some, but not Charlotte’s Bishop Michael Martin. Francis appointed him to the position last year and they met in September.
“He was very off-the-cuff. We were together for about 90 minutes and in various moments he was very serious, talking about topics of incredible importance. And then moments later, in a discussion about something different, was laughing and joking,” Bishop Martin said.
Martin said his parishioners will have a chance to honor and mourn the pope on Wednesday night at St. Marks Church in Huntersville. A mass to pray for the church will take place there at 7 p.m.
“He called on the church to be a church that listens – in a time where, and in a world where listening is hard to find,” Bishop Martin said.
McLaughlin told Channel 9, “Now it’s gonna be sort of a question of who is going to take his place?”
The Bishop said the Charlotte Diocese will continue to honor the Pope by taking part in the Catholic Church’s period of mourning.
Monday night, several Catholics gathered inside the St. Patrick Cathedral in Dilworth in honor of Pope Francis.
“How beautiful it is that his last sort of public act was to give the world his blessing for Easter,” Kelly Schiffiano told Channel 9. ”I really loved the way Pope Francis talked a lot about mercy. Right after he was elected Pope, he instituted a year of mercy, and I think that our world needs a lot of mercy and to focus on God’s love for all of us.“
Often referred to as the people’s Pope, Gloria Felten said he will remain just that in her eyes.
“And now that he has passed away, he will always be in our prayers,” Felten expressed.
Schiffiano said she wants Pope Francis’ legacy to be remembered as one of compassion.
“As someone who loved Jesus and inspired others to love Jesus and to show mercy to your fellow man,” Schiffiano explained.
The diocese covers the western half of North Carolina, Chandler said, and includes more than 530,000 Catholics, 93 churches, 20 schools, and more than 50 ministries.
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