Statement by Archbishop Gomez on the Death of Pope Francis

Archbishop José H. Gomez shared the following statement on the death of Pope Francis. The Archbishop will celebrate the 12:10 Mass today, April 21, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for Pope Francis, followed by a media availability at approximately 1 p.m. inside the Cathedral (555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012).

I join the family of God here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Catholics all over the world, in grieving the loss of our Holy Father.

In this beautiful Easter season, when we celebrate our hope in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we pray that the angels may lead Pope Francis into paradise, that the saints and martyrs welcome him, and that God in his mercy will make his face shine upon his faithful servant and grant him eternal rest in the love that never ends.

There will be more to say in the days ahead, but in this moment I find myself reflecting with gratitude on the Holy Father’s many kindnesses and expressions of pastoral care for us here in Los Angeles.

Over the years, he appointed seven auxiliary bishops to assist me in serving the family of God and he was always quick to show his spiritual closeness to us in our times of need. It was just in January that he offered prayers and words of consolation as we faced the destruction caused by the wildfires in the Palisades and Altadena. I will never forget his fraternal comfort as we mourned the sudden taking of our beloved Bishop David O’Connell in 2023.  

In this time of mourning, my prayer is that all of us in the Church will honor Pope Francis’ legacy by remembering that he called us to urgent tasks that are still not finished: “We must continue our work of serving the poor, the migrant, and all who are forgotten on society’s “peripheries.”

We must persevere in caring for our common home, which is the earth, and in building a world that respects the sanctity and dignity of all human life and the Creator’s desire that we live in peace and fraternity as one human family.

 And we must evangelize, spreading the joy of the Gospel as missionary disciples, accompanying our brothers and sisters and helping them to find in Jesus the happiness and love that every human heart longs for.

 Above all, we must deepen our own love for Jesus and our commitment to seeking his holiness and reflecting his mercy and love in our daily lives.

Pope Francis showed us, by his constant example, that we should have a great devotion to the Virgin Mary, who is our Blessed Mother and the Mother of the Church.

We turn to Holy Mary now, and we ask for her protection and tender care. May she wrap our Holy Father in the mantle of her love. And may he rest in peace.

Please find the statement by Archbishop Gomez at https://lacatholics.org/statement-on-the-death-of-the-holy-father-pope-francis/.

For other writings by Archbishop Gomez on Pope Francis and information on upcoming Masses and events celebrating the life and memory of Pope Francis, please visit www.LACatholics.org/pope-francis. A special photo montage of the Holy Father can also be found at https://www.instagram.com/p/DItZXIfRROQ/.

####