27-04-2025
‘Tough act to follow': Catholics remember pope's humble example at Mass
Catholics on Saturday mourned Pope Francis as a leader of outstanding faith and humility.
Springfield Bishop William Byrne celebrated a Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in memory of the pope, who died on April 21, the day after Easter. The bishop devoted most of his homily to a reflection on Francis' teaching, including his attention to people who felt 'discarded' by powerful governments and technologies. He both recognized every person's worth and encouraged every person not to give up.
'Pope Francis was the great voice for the discarded of our world, their voice to those in power,' Byrne said. 'Our holy father said not to yield to the logic of fear, which only leads to isolation from others.'
West Springfield resident Mary Ann Arnold said of Pope Francis: 'He'll be a tough act to follow.'
She said she was impressed with the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, from very beginning of his papacy in 2013.
'I thought, the minute he was elected pope, and he went back [himself] to the hotel to pay his bill … that's our guy,' Arnold said. 'I think that he was a man of the people. He reached out to the marginalized. He practiced what he preached.'
Attendees at the Mass included Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, as well as many students from Pope Francis Prep, the diocesan high school named after the late pope. Emma Caproni, a senior at the school, said she, too, was impressed by Francis' humble approach to leadership of a worldwide church.
'He didn't keep himself in a high position,' said Caproni, a Chicopee resident.
Byrne said he's spent the past week reflecting not only on his personal interactions with the late pope, who appointed him as a bishop, but also on the images of the world has seen of Francis serving the sick, the poor, washing the feet of people in prison. These weren't 'photo ops,' Byrne said, but true windows into the soul of a man who had dedicated his life to following the example of Jesus Christ.
Maria Baez, a cathedral parishioner from Springfield, said that she also will remember Francis for 'his humanity' and his ability to form connections with ordinary people around the world, including non-Catholics. She said she is praying for the conclave to elect another pope with Francis' accessibility, but also one who would re-emphasize the church's traditions and the centrality of the sacraments.
The conclave, a meeting of 135 cardinals from around the world, is expected to take place in May in the Sistine Chapel of Vatican City.
