'He loved the poor': Pope Francis remembered as humble leader who broke barriers
As people filled the pews of Saints Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix for Sunday Mass following the death of Pope Francis, Bishop John Dolan of the Diocese of Phoenix opened his sermon by referencing the Y2K computer glitch that spurred an international panic a quarter century ago.
'If you remember, the computers were to focus primarily on the last two digits of the Millennium,' Dolan said the morning of April 27. 'So that, conceivably, that in the year 2000, when the clock ticked at midnight to the year 2000, the numbers would revert back to 1900 and not to 2000.'
Dolan shared how programmers scrambled to address the issue as the rest of the world held its breath.
'There were a number of people who were in a very uncomfortable panic mode,' Dolan said. 'They had no idea what would happen. And then the year 2000 occurred and everything was OK. And I think, in essence, that's what we're celebrating today — that everything is going to be OK.'
Dolan went on to share how Pope Francis embodied the virtues Jesus preached and referred to the words he shared during the Jubilee year of mercy between Dec. 8, 2015 to Nov. 20, 2016. A Jubilee year is a holy year that occurs every 25 years centered around spiritual renewal and the forgiveness of sins, but they can also be declared by the Pope such as the one in 2015-2016.
'He said 'mercy is the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness,'' Dolan said. 'We should remember that when we reflect on our gospel today.'
The Cathedral was mostly full of worshippers there to celebrate Sunday service and hear Dolan's words about the Pope. A portrait of the Pontiff stood to the side. Dolan's voice was calming and hopeful as he delivered a message that "death is a part of life and God's love remains eternal."
The bishop spoke of Pope Francis's humble demeanor and recalled one of the first things Francis did after he had been made pope was pay his own hotel bill.
He elaborated that Francis was unbothered by established norms and opted to interact with people directly.
'He'd call people up on the phone,' Dolan said. 'Well, a pope doesn't do that. You know, you have someone else — a secretary or papal nuncio to call people. But he would call people. There were no barriers. He would cross borders and people were challenged by that.'
Dolan later spoke to reporters outside the Cathedral, where he shared how the Mass held in honor of Pope Francis coincidentally fell on 'Divine Mercy Sunday' — or the Sunday after Easter.
'I think in many ways it just really sent a message that he died within this Easter season — in this octave of Easter — these eight great days that we celebrate,' Dolan said. 'It sent a message that here was a man who really emphasized mercy and hope.'
He added that Francis's love and compassion mirrored that of Christ.
'He just loved the poor,' Dolan said. 'He loved the people who were forgotten, who fell through the cracks. And isn't that what Jesus did? He came not to save the healthy, but the sick. That's everything about Jesus and I think Pope Francis was a reflection of that.'
Asked if he had heard of any candidates for the papacy being discussed in particular, Dolan said a few names were floating around. Pietro Parolin, the cardinal secretary of state for Vatican City, was one such name, as was Cardinal Luis Tagle.
No matter what names people whispered, Dolan said the one who would become the next pope was yet to be decided with the election process expected to begin May 6.
'When these cardinals, if they think that they're going in — they go in as a pope and they come out as a cardinal,' Dolan said. 'So you never know. And that's why the Holy Spirit is the absolute person in that room. When everything is closed and locked and everything and they're all in there hunkering down — the most important person in that room is the third person of the Holy Trinity — the Holy Spirit.'
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pope Francis remembered as one who broke barriers during special Mass
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