Bishop Barron reacts to death of Pope Francis, praises papacy marked by 'mercy and evangelization'
Bishop Robert Barron, a widely read Catholic commentator and author, paid tribute to Pope Francis for a papacy marked by "mercy and evangelization" after the news of his death on Monday.
Barron, who leads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota and is the founder of the popular Catholic ministerial organization Word on Fire, praised Francis for recognizing the "destructiveness of sin."
"Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, has reached the end of his earthly pilgrimage," Bishop Barron wrote in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. "Pope Francis was a great pastor who spoke from the heart and with tender affection."
Pope Francis' Death After Respiratory Illness: What To Know About Bilateral Pneumonia
"I had the pleasure of meeting with Pope Francis several times during his papacy," Bishop Barron continued. "On the occasions when he and I spoke, his comments would burn their way into my heart and mind. During a meeting with my fellow bishops, he reminded us that 'the first task of a bishop is to pray.'"
"Pope Francis' papacy was marked by two master themes: mercy and evangelization," Barron wrote. "In an interview, he famously remarked that the Church is a field hospital to those wounded by our postmodern, relativistic society. It must, first and foremost, heal the wounds. Pope Francis had a keen awareness of the destructiveness of sin, and he encouraged the Church to show the world the merciful face of Christ. He also emphasized the importance of our personal witness to the light of faith, drawing others to the life-giving joy of the Gospel."
Read On The Fox News App
Barron concluded by calling on Christians to join him in "praying for the repose of his soul."
Trump, World Leaders React To The Death Of Pope Francis
"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church," Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced on Monday.
This announcement comes after Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger, spent 38 days in Rome's Gemelli hospital starting on Feb. 14 to treat a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.
Francis, who was born in Argentina, was elected pope in 2013 and served just over 12 years until his death on Monday at age 88. He was the first pope ever from the Americas and the first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years.
Fox News' Caitlin McFall, Emma Colton and Chris Massaro contributed to this report.Original article source: Bishop Barron reacts to death of Pope Francis, praises papacy marked by 'mercy and evangelization'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Atlantic
5 hours ago
- Atlantic
Fathers Don't Just Protect—They Prepare
My grandfather was born in 1882 in the small Ukrainian town of Zawale, which was part of the vast, multiethnic Austro-Hungarian empire. In 1914, this mega-state, like so many European nations, threw itself into a world war with frenzied enthusiasm. My grandfather later told my father how puzzled he had been to watch thousands of happy young men—really still just boys—boarding trains in Vienna, cheering as they went off to what was almost certainly their death. He did not volunteer, he avoided conscription, and he survived. His son, my father, was born in Vienna in 1927. He was 6 years old when Adolf Hitler became the chancellor of Germany. Austria still had a few years of freedom left, and my grandfather used them well: Because an archive had burned down, several of his family documents had to be reissued. Through skillful manipulation, he managed to turn himself from a Jew into what the Nazis would later classify as a 'half Jew.' And as Germany's annexation of Austria became inevitable, he came up with an especially daring idea: In a court proceeding, he had his wife, my grandmother, declared the illegitimate daughter of the janitor in her parents' building. He bribed witnesses who testified that her mother had had an affair with that janitor. It worked: My grandmother was officially declared the daughter of an Aryan. And as a result, my family survived. This Father's Day, I find myself reflecting not only on paternal love but on paternal foresight—the clarity and focus it takes to see what others might not, to act before the danger has a name. Raising children is always a challenge, but never more so than in times of deep insecurity about what the future will look like. To meet that challenge, it can help to look at the generations that came before. Anne Applebaum: This is what Trump does when his revolution sputters Despite my grandfather's efforts, life for my father quickly changed under the Nazis. In swimming school, two boys nearly drowned him while the lifeguard looked on, grinning. When my father finally emerged, gasping for breath, the lifeguard laughed and said, 'Can't swim, Jew?' Around the same time, the man who lived in the neighboring house began watching my father and his sister with dark, brooding looks. But only after Hitler's army had entered Austria did he begin shouting, each and every time they passed: 'Jewwws!' My father would recount these events with amused detachment. He had already learned as a teenager to recognize the profound absurdity of Nazism—the deep, grotesque nonsense of what Charlie Chaplin and Ernst Lubitsch were turning into dark political comedies at the same time in Hollywood. A few months later, two men came to my grandparents and ordered them to leave their house with their children. They moved into a small apartment, and their home was 'bought'—at a tiny, symbolic price—by the 'Jewww'-shouting neighbor. Corruption is the most corrosive force in a democracy, but in a dictatorship it can save you. Once a month, a Gestapo officer would appear at my grandparents' apartment and take something valuable—a piece of furniture, a porcelain plate, a painting. In return, the file on my grandparents would sink a little lower in the stack on his desk. At my father's school, the boys had to line up, and all those tall enough were asked—in fact, ordered—to volunteer for the SS. My father raised his hand and said, 'Requesting permission to report—I'm one-quarter Jewish!' To which the SS man shouted in disgust, 'Step back!' And so my father was spared from becoming a war criminal in Hitler's service. In almost every situation, having Jewish ancestry was a mortal danger. But in this one instance, it became his salvation. In the final months of the war, my father was arrested after all and spent three months in a concentration camp close to Vienna, constantly at risk of death. But after the war had ended, there was still a striking atmosphere of leniency toward the perpetrators. When he went to the local police station to give a statement about his time in the camp, he was met with scornful dismissiveness. 'It wasn't really that bad, was it?' the officer asked. 'Aren't we exaggerating a little?' It was then that my father decided to move from Austria to Germany, paradoxically—because there, under pressure from the occupying powers, some reckoning with the past was taking place. Austria, meanwhile, had successfully cast itself as the war's first victim. Timothy W. Ryback: Hitler used a bogus crisis of 'public order' to make himself dictator I tell my son, who never met his grandfather (as I never met mine), that my father was obsessed throughout his life with the idea that what had happened once could happen again—not just to Jews, but to anyone. Of course, my son, raised in a seemingly stable world, feels profoundly safe. And that's a good thing. But we are currently living in the United States, a country that for my grandfather was a refuge impossible to reach, but that is currently in the throes of what some serious scholars now describe as an authoritarian power grab. And even in Germany, where we could easily return, a right-wing extremist party is now so strong that it might come in first in the next election. So I think about the responsibility of raising a child in a time when the future is impossible to predict. I think, more and more, of my grandfather, who in 1914 watched people plunge into war hysteria and decided to resist their excitement, and who would later take very unconventional steps—steps that would, after history took a turn for the worse, ensure his family's survival. My grandfather understood the psychology of fanaticism very early; my father understood the stupidity and mediocrity of the people whom the dictatorship empowered, without mistaking them for harmless clowns. Now, as we watch society once again take a dangerous turn—as books are banned, people are sent to foreign prisons without even a court order, and soldiers are deployed against protesters—I wonder what stories my future grandchildren will one day need to remember. Memory is not a picture book; it's a tool. And fatherhood, especially in times like these, is not just about protection. It is about preparation.
Hamilton Spectator
7 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Tariffs, wildfires and AI on the agenda as Canada hosts world leaders at G7
OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney has tried to pare down Canada's priorities as the G7 summit host, but there's still a lengthy list of global issues for leaders to discuss over the coming days. 'Leaders (will) meet at a moment of enormous flux globally, when tensions among G7 members are especially pronounced,' Carney's foreign policy adviser David Angell told a panel this week. He did not directly reference U.S. President Donald Trump, who famously walked out of the last G7 summit Canada hosted in 2018. Here's a look at what's on the agenda in Kananaskis, Alta., and what to expect. Economics On the formal agenda, the first discussion is about the 'global economic outlook,' followed by a working lunch on economic security and supply chains. Angell said this will include a discussion on 'anti-market practices by large, non-G7 economies.' China is among those countries accused of anti-market practices. 'There's no doubt that important discussion of President Trump's tariff strategy will take place,' he added. John Kirton, head of the G7 Research Group at the University of Toronto, said the discussion will likely set the tone on how countries balance fiscal stimulus through tax cuts or possibly more defence spending along with cutting back deficits. He said leaders will need to navigate the difficult reality that Trump's tariffs are hurting economic growth and likely caused the downgrading of Washington's credit ratings. Leaders are set to discuss critical minerals, and Kirton said this might involve setting labour and environmental transparency standards for minerals acquired in fragile countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Sen. Peter Boehm, who played a central role in many G7 summits, said he expects Canada to raise the dysfunction of the World Trade Organization, though this might happen in an informal setting instead of part of the structured G7 meetings. The WTO's appeal body is the main global enforcer of resolutions in trade disputes, and it has been effectively stalled for years as the U.S. blocks the appointment of panel members, following frustration of how the WTO has ruled against Washington. In 2018, Canada launched the Ottawa Group, a committee urging WTO reform made up of more than a dozen economies ranging from Kenya to Norway, but it has had limited success. Wildfires and foreign interference The second session taking place Monday will involve safety, particularly wildfires, foreign interference and transnational crime. Canada is set to release a Kananaskis Wildfire Charter, spanning mitigation, response and recovery. Kirton said discussion around the document will focus on 'equipment interoperability' to allow G7 members to support each other during emergencies, as well as the use of satellite imagery to fight wildfires. He said the topic has become 'a burning issue' in part because wildfires in places like Los Angeles and across the Prairies show how the threat is relevant to Washington and its G7 peers. Leaders might try to raise climate change, but Kirton doubts that phrase will appear in any closing statements, with Trump pushing back on the topic. A brief circulated among G7 planners from various countries originally included the term 'countering migrant smuggling and drug trafficking' but Kirton noted that the term did not appear in later drafts. Kirton said he expects leaders to discuss tighter co-operation in combating the drug trade, given that the U.S. concern over opioids matches concerns other countries have about heroin trafficking. 'Making the world secure' The topic title of the Monday working dinner is broad. While such a session would normally involve conflicts in Israel and the Palestinian territories, North Korea and Sudan, analysts expect that recent strikes between Israel and Iran will dominate this discussion. Ukrainian sovereignty Tuesday's working breakfast will come after G7 leaders have a chance to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and amid concerns from other G7 members that the U.S. might sign a deal from Russia that only encourages further invasion of European countries. After that, G7 leaders have a larger meeting with the invited guests, which so far includes leaders of Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Ukraine, NATO, the United Nations and the World Bank. It's unclear whether Canada's bid to raise issues of foreign interference will come up in talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose government the RCMP has linked to extortion, coercion and homicide cases. In January, the foreign interference inquiry's final report said 'India is the second most active' threat actor, which is 'clandestinely providing illicit financial support to various Canadian politicians in an attempt to secure the election of pro-India candidates or gain influence.' Energy security Tuesday afternoon's discussion is set to include making energy affordable and creating the infrastructure needed to diversify of energy sources. Angell said 'a number of key leaders' visiting the summit as guests will be part of the talks. Carney's office has said Canada is seeking coalitions with reliable partners to open new markets, and generate large infrastructure investments. AI and quantum tech Carney's office says G7 leaders will discuss 'using artificial intelligence and quantum to unleash economic growth,' though it's not clear where in the schedule this will take place. Experts say quantum computing could rapidly speed up processing times and allow for more accurate or efficient tasks. But they say cryptography might be needed to prevent powerful quantum computers from breaking power grids and banking systems. Kirton said the discussion will likely include discussion on how to include developing countries in the gains of AI and how it can boost the efficiency of government bureaucracies and business of all sizes. Something useful — and Canadian While federal officials have warned that the summit will unlikely end with a lengthy communiqué that has been part of almost every other G7 summit, Boehm has faith Canada will still deliver points of consensus that liberal democracies can act on. Last month, finance ministers and central bankers agreed on action around cyber threats to the financial sector and the need to assess the possibilities and risks posed by artificial intelligence. In March, foreign ministers pledged to focus on maritime security, a topic that affects all G7 countries who also happen to share three oceans with Canada, giving grounds to look at everything from unregistered vessels undermining sanctions to illegal fishing and threats to undersea fibre-optic cables. These were largely seen as ways to bridge the growing gap between Europe and the U.S. and focus on shared goals. It's a skill G7 allies turn to Canada for, sometimes literally, in the middle of the night. 'There's often come a time, usually at three in the morning or something, where someone will look at me, or whoever is in the Canadian chair and say … 'it's time for the great Canadian initiative to compromise, and get this thing done.' So we do add value,' Boehm said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2025.
7 hours ago
A Congolese customs worker who resisted corruption is the Catholic Church's newest model of holiness
ROME -- The Vatican on Sunday is beatifying a Congolese customs worker who was killed for resisting a bribe, giving young people in a place with endemic corruption a new model of holiness: Someone who refused to allow spoiled rice to be distributed to poor people. The head of the Vatican's saint-making office, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, is presiding over the beatification ceremony Sunday at one of the pontifical basilicas in Rome, St. Paul Outside the Walls. The event is drawing Congolese pilgrims and much of Rome's Congolese Catholic community, who will be treated to a special audience Monday with Pope Leo XIV. Floribèrt Bwana Chui Bin Kositi was kidnapped and killed in 2007 after he refused to allow rancid rice from Rwanda to be transported across the border to the eastern Congo city of Goma. As an official with the Congolese government's custom's quality control office, the 26-year-old knew the risks of resisting bribes offered to public officials. But he also knew the risks of allowing spoiled food to be distributed to the most desperate. 'On that day, those mafiosi found themselves in front of a young man who, in the name of the Gospel, said 'No.' He opposed,' his friend Aline Manani said. "And Floribèrt, I think that for me personally, I would say for all young people, is a role model.' Pope Francis recognized Kositi as a martyr of the faith late last year, setting him on the path to beatification and to possibly become Congo's first saint. The move fit into the pope's broader understanding of martyr as a social justice concept, allowing those deemed to have been killed for doing God's work and following the Gospel to be considered for sainthood. 'Our country almost holds the gold medal for corruption among the countries of the world," Goma Bishop Willy Ngumbi told reporters last week. "Here, corruption is truly endemic. So, if we could at least learn from this boy's life that we must all fight corruption … I think that would be very important.' Transparency International last year gave Congo one of the poorest marks on its corruption perception index, ranking it 163 out of 180 countries surveyed and 20 on the organization's 0-100 scale, with 0 highly corrupt and 100 very clean. The beatification has brought joy to Goma at a time of anguish. Violent fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels has led to the death of thousands of people and the rebels' capture of the city has exacerbated what already was one of the world's biggest humanitarian crises. It has renewed the hopes of many in the country of more than 100 million people whose development has been stifled by chronic corruption, which Francis railed about during his 2023 visit to the country. Speaking at the Kinshasa stadium then, Francis said Kositi 'could easily have turned a blind eye; nobody would have found out, and he might even have gotten ahead as a result. But since he was a Christian, he prayed. He thought of others and he chose to be honest, saying no to the filth of corruption.' The Italian priest who spearheaded Kositi's sainthood case, the Rev. Francesco Tedeschi, knew him through their work with the Saint'Egidio Community. He broke down Saturday as he recounted Kositi's example and Francis' call for the church to recognize the ordinary holiness in the 'saints next door.' 'In the end, this was what Floribert was, because he was just a boy,' Tedeschi said as he began weeping. At Goma's Floribert Bwana Chui School of Peace, which is named in honor of Kositi and advocates for social justice, his beatification is encouraging everyone who sees him as a role model, school director Charles Kalimba told The Associated Press. 'It's a lesson for every generation, for the next generation, for the present generation and for all people. Floribert's life is a positive point that must be presented to the Congolese nation. We are in a country where corruption is almost allowed, and this is a challenge that must be taken up,' Kalimba said. Rev. Tedeschi said the martyr designation recognized Kositi died out of hatred for the faith, because his decision to not accept the spoiled food was inspired by the Christian idea of the dignity of everyone, especially the poor. Being declared a martyr exempts Kositi from the requirement that a miracle must be attributed to his intercession before he is beatified, thereby fast-tracking the process to get to the first step of sainthood. The Vatican must, however, confirm a miracle attributed to his intercession for him to be canonized, a process that can take years or more. ___
