Clarksburg Catholic church reacts to passing of Pope Francis
On Monday, 12 News spoke to leadership at Immaculate Conception Church in Clarksburg, who said Pope Francis brought a global perspective to the papacy as well as an emphasis on lifting up the marginalized, and that he will be missed.
Sister Maria Rukwishuro is the Director of Religious Education at Immaculate Conception Church. She said learning about Pope Francis's passing this morning made her reflect on the man. She said, 'I realized that he is a man who came into this leadership with everyone in mind.'
Father Casey B. Mahones is a Pastor at Immaculate Conception Church and said that he remembers when Pope Francis selected to take up the name of Francis. He explained that Saint Francis of Assisi was a reformer, known for his humility and his dedication to the poor and those living on the fringes of society.
Pope Francis seemed to try to live up to that name and was known for his progressive bent through things like his outreach to the LGBTQ community, speaking out for illegal immigrants and greater inclusion of women in leadership of the Church.
When asked about whether Pope Francis was a progressive, Father Mahones said that 'people who are political in the first place are going to interpret the Popes in a political way.'
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Father Mahones added he was impressed by Pope Francis's global perspective, saying that 'he has a pastoral approach so that he knows people's situations, and that the situation of people in Zimbabwe or Papua New Guinea is not the same situation as people living in Rome or in West Virginia. […] He gives a lot more leeway for pastors, I think, to do with situations in the church.'
Rukwishuro, who is originally from Zimbabwe, spoke about the concern Pope Francis showed in a global context. She remembered the Pope's visit to South Sudan, saying that 'we felt it as Africans, too.'
As the Catholic Church's presence grows worldwide, Father Mahones said that there is speculation on whether the next pope will be from Africa or Asia. Rukwishuro said that regardless, 'our Catholic Church has a future. Popes come, they die, they retire, but the church goes on. So we're praying for whoever is coming to take up the church and lead it forward.'
The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston hosted and live-streamed a memorial mass for Pope Francis, which started at 6 p.m. Monday night.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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