Live updates: Impact of Pope Francis' death felt on LI, around the world
The first Latin American pontiff in history, who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives, has died. Check out more coverage and take a look at photos of the pope through the years.
Francis' cause of death and burial plans
The Vatican said the cause of Pope Francis’ death was a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure.
It also said the pope had decreed that he will be buried in St. Mary Major Basilica in a simple underground tomb. The basilica is home to Francis’ favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, to whom he was particularly devoted.
LI priest remembers night Francis became pope
The Rev. Jerry DiSpigno, a Catholic priest from Long Island, was a front-row witness the night in 2013 that a priest from Argentina became Pope Francis.
He was close enough to see Francis adjust his glasses from a second-floor balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica as he bowed to ask the crowd to pray for him.
DiSpigno was in Rome on a sabbatical and had arrived early. Few people were there because it was raining. And few were expecting a pope to be elected that day, since it was only the second day of cardinals voting in the conclave.
When white smoke indicating a new pope had been chosen suddenly emerged from the Sistine Chapel, DiSpigno ran to the front of St. Peter’s Basilica. There were only about 30 people in front of him, he said. Soon the square filled with at least 200,000 people as they waited about an hour for the new pope to be revealed and to appear.
When he did, “I could see everything. I saw his face. I saw his expressions. He was so close,” DiSpigno said.
Like many people, DiSpigno had never heard of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, but a priest from Chile who was standing next to him knew all about him and gave DiSpigno a quick biography in English.
“It was such a momentous occasion in my whole life to be able to witness a pope” being elected,” DiSpigno said Monday. “There's a great sadness because I was there.”
Pope's death resonates at LI Jesuit parish
Pope Francis death hit home especially hard at Long Island’s only parish run by Jesuits, the religious order to which Francis belonged. Francis was the first Jesuit pope in the 2,000-year history of the Roman Catholic Church.
“We are all saddened here, as a pope and as a fellow Jesuit. It hits home a little bit more,” said the Rev. James Donovan, pastor of St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church in Oceanside.
He added that he and another Jesuit at his parish, the Rev. Bret Stockdale, were ordained in June 2013, making them among the first Jesuits ordained with Francis as pope.
Francis “wrote and spoke really as a pastor,” Donovan said. “His words were accessible to all people. You didn’t have to have a degree in theology to understand him.”
Vice President JD Vance was one of the last leaders to meet with Pope Francis
Pope Francis receives U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, before bestowing the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and the world) blessing in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sunday. Credit: AP/Vatican Media
WASHINGTON — One of Pope Francis' final encounters before his death was with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who visited the Vatican over the weekend.
The meeting took place on Easter Sunday. Vance, a Catholic convert, entered the room and reached down for the pope's hand. “Hello,” the vice president said. “So good to see you."
Francis was sitting in a wheelchair, and his words were inaudible in a video released by the Vatican.
Hofstra professor: Francis addressed key Catholic women's issue
Phyllis Zagano said Pope Francis moved the needle on the Catholic Church's position on women deacons.
Zagano, a Hofstra University senior research associate, was appointed by Francis to a commission to study the role of women deacons, who would not be priests but would perform duties such as preaching at Mass and baptisms.
In the end, Francis did not allow women deacons, but he put the issue on the table and gave tantalizing clues he would like to see it happen, Zagano said.
“He was an extraordinary individual who took chances, and I think one of the chances he took was to introduce the discussion of ordaining women in the deaconate,” she said.
In 2018, Zagano and other members of the commission were eating lunch at the Santa Marta complex at the Vatican where Francis lived when, she recounted, he came up to their table and said in Italian, “Who’s going to be the first woman deacon?”
The bemused group pointed at Zagano, she said.
Zagano said Monday that she is disappointed women deacons were not restored under Francis — she contends they existed in the early church — but is pleased he pushed the issue.
“I think it's important to focus on what he was able to do and not on what he was unable to do,” she said. “This is a pope, I think, who moved the church really forward.”
Suozzi says Francis brought inspirational message
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) attended Catholic high school, college and law school. He reacted to Francis' death with a call to action.
“Thank God for Pope Francis," Suozzi said in a statement. "He always reminded us that the poor, the homeless, and migrants are all made in God’s image, that the earth is part of God’s divine creation, and that the modern problems of income inequality, and the dangerous and unequal spread of technology are further dividing and distracting us from our obligation to serve the common good."
He ended the statement with: "We can be better.”
Ex-Congressman King praises Francis' dedication
Former Congressman Peter King, a lifelong Catholic, said it was an “inspirational feeling” to be inside Madison Square Garden the day Pope Francis celebrated Mass there during his 2015 visit to the United States.
“He was a man of God,” King said. “He certainly was committed, he was dedicated.”
King also noted that Francis staked out some positions that conservative Catholics did not agree with.
“It's obvious some of his remarks, like about immigration or the [border] wall, were ... not so lightly veiled failed shots at Trump,” King said. “Trump's a big person, he can handle it. I have no problem with that being part of the public debate.”
Mourning at LI's St. Agnes Cathedral
Around 7:25 a.m. staff at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre hung two purple-and-black awnings outside its front doors, symbolizing the pope's death. Then, as the 7:45 a.m. Mass began, a photo of Pope Francis was placed on the altar, surrounded by flowers from the previous day’s Easter Sunday services.
Diocese of Rockville Centre Bishop John Barres led the Mass for more than 30 attendees. He opened the service by addressing the pope's death, saying Francis had dedicated his life to others as the “light of Jesus Christ."
Barres said he was also touched by Pope Francis’ message at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia in 2015.
“I always found that so powerful because … with all the stresses and strains ... what we've been through, from COVID to so many different global societal challenges ... he wanted everyone to step back and say, 'tThe daily sacrifices you're making for your families, they do transform the world in history with Christ's love.' ”
Rene Richardson, 72, of Roosevelt, said that she attends the 7:45 a.m. Mass daily and was saddened to hear of Francis’ death but happy he was able to celebrate Easter.
“We’re really grateful today that our bishop was here to comfort us, because that's what we needed today,” Richardson said. “We're going to pray for everyone that loved the pope, and that's the whole world. Who could not love the pope?”
Gilbert Ortiz, 62, of Valley Stream, who identifies as a devout Catholic and attends Mass daily, said: “I prayed for him,” after learning the news early Monday. “The first thing I asked was, 'I hope he's with the Lord right now, and hope he's at peace.' ”
Pope is remembered at St. Patrick's Cathedral
Mourners gathered near the apse of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where a portrait of the pope sat framed by candles and flowers. Credit: Newsday/Nicholas Spangler
At St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, a trickle of mourners emerged onto Fifth Avenue. Gary Williams, a retired school principal from Manhattan and a volunteer at the church, said he’d awoken to a text message about the pontiff’s death. “I said a prayer immediately,” Williams said, adding that it was fitting the pope had died so close to Easter Sunday and that he was heartened that Cardinal Timothy Dolan, head of the Archdiocese of New York, would play a role in selecting the church’s next leader.
Olivier Bonan, a police officer from Paris, France, said he is not a believer but was moved to see the portrait of Pope Francis inside St. Patrick's Cathedral. “We are attached — we have to preserve this religion in France, though sometimes it’s very hard because we see a lot of people who [have] no respect for our religion in France,” he said.
Geraldine Eng, 44, who lives in midtown Manhattan and often stops at St. Patrick’s on her way in to work, said she had dedicated her prayers Monday to Francis. “I thanked God for giving us this good pope for the past 12 years, and hopefully the next pope will be just as good,” said Eng, who works in finance.
“I liked the fact that he was progressive and inclusive; he had modern ideas,” Eng, said, adding she was impressed especially that Francis had reached out to LGBTQ people and embraced other religions. “He helped the Catholic Church be more accessible to all,” she said.
Jan Bedin, of Chelsea, said that only a day before she’d watched Pope Francis greeting the faithful at St. Peter’s Square. “I thought, ‘That’s a great example of how the elderly can triumph and do it in their own way,’ ” she said.
Bedin, who works with Italian companies expanding into the United States, said she’d been in Italy when Francis was named pope. He paid his own hotel bill and uttered two words — “Buena suerte” – that electrified crowds. “It didn’t matter what he talked about,” Bedin said. "He resonated. You could feel it. He was comfortable in his own skin.”
Bishop addresses the diversity of Long Island
Before the Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre, Bishop Barres told reporters how Pope Francis’ teachings were relevant to Long Islanders. For example, he had a “heart for our wonderful immigrants and a great passion for serving them,” as the Holy Family themselves were refugees.
“We know that so well on Long Island," Barres said. "There are over 500,000 beautiful Hispanics that we serve in our 136 parishes so faithfully, our wonderful Haitian communities, and how diverse Long Island and our country is now. We celebrate that unity and diversity from the spirit of Catholic communion and mission.”
Cardinal Timothy Dolan remembers Francis
Pope Francis and Cardinal Timothy Dolan speak during The Evening Prayer at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on September 24, 2015. Credit: USA Today/Robert Deutsch
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, head of the Archdiocese of New York, said Francis “touched us all with his simplicity, with his heart of a humble servant.”
Dolan noted in a statement that he was part of the conclave that elected Francis in 2013 and welcomed him to New York in 2015 when the pope also visited Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Cuba. It was his only trip to the United States.
"I join with people all over the world, not only Catholics, but people of all faiths or none at all, in mourning the passing of our beloved Pope Francis this morning," Dolan said
Which cardinals are seen as contenders to be the next pope?
Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo is interviewed by The Associated Press in Budapest, on April 20, 2023. Credit: AP/Denes Erdos
VATICAN CITY — A popular saying in Vatican circles is that if you “enter a conclave as pope, you leave as a cardinal.”
It implies the sacred and secretive process is no popularity contest or campaign, but rather the divinely inspired election of Christ’s Vicar on Earth by the princes of the church.
Still, there are always front-runners, known as “papabile,” who have at least some of the qualities considered necessary to be pope — much like those depicted in last year's Oscar-nominated film “Conclave.”
Stunned reaction to pope's death
Jim Morgo said the pope's death was "unexpected because all indications were he was on the road to recovery." Morgo is shown March 8 at the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council Meeting at Farmingdale State College. Credit: Corey Sipkin
Jim Morgo, a longtime parishioner at Our Lady of the Snow Roman Catholic Church in Blue Point, said he was stunned when he awoke Monday to the news of the pope’s death.
“My first reaction was, ‘Oh no,’ ” he said. “It was unexpected because all indications were he was on the road to recovery. Coming right after Easter made it almost more difficult to grasp” since Easter is a day of joy for Catholics marking Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
“What follows of course is the apprehension of what kind of pope are we going to get next?” Morgo added. “Are we going to have someone who goes backwards or are we going to have someone with his understanding and love of all humanity, his understanding of the suffering of migrants and the poor?”
Francis “wasn’t dogmatic,” he said. “He seemed to have a flexibility and understanding.”
LIer recalls Francis as 'a good pope'
Maria Traversa, 76, of Rockville Centre, who came to St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre Monday to attend the 7:45 a.m. Mass, said she didn’t agree with all of Pope Francis’ teachings but felt lucky to have his service for so many years.
“He was a good pope,” Traversa said. “He brought a lot of the country together.”
When she heard the news Monday morning, she felt a sense of relief because Pope Francis was sick for so long.
“In a lot of ways it’s sad to say goodbye,” Traversa said.
The rites and rituals following the death of a pope, his funeral and burial, explained
Pope Francis sits by the coffin of late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square during a funeral Mass at the Vatican on Jan. 5, 2023. Credit: AP/Andrew Medichini
VATICAN CITY — The death of a pope sets in motion a series of carefully orchestrated rites and rituals well before the conclave to elect his successor begins. They involve the certification of death and public display of his body for the faithful to pay their respects, followed by the funeral and burial.
Pope Francis, who died on Monday, revised various rites last year, simplifying the funeral rituals to emphasize his role as a mere bishop and allowing for burial outside the Vatican in keeping with his wishes. But the core elements remain, including the three key moments that must be observed between the death of a pope and his burial.
The reforms are incorporated into the slim red volume “Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis,” Latin for “Rite of Burial for Roman Pontiffs.”
Takeaways about the life of Pope Francis
Francis' Firsts
— The first pope from the Americas.
— The first from the Jesuit order to be elected pope.
— The first to take the name of Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi.
— The first to visit Iraq, meeting its top Shiite Muslim cleric in 2021.
Pope Francis was a card-carrying soccer fan. And a promoter of the values in sports
Argentine soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona, left, greets Pope Francis in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Monday, Sept. 1, 2014. Credit: AP/Gregorio Borgia
From meetings with Diego Maradona to the passion for his beloved Buenos Aires club, San Lorenzo, Pope Francis was an avid soccer fan. And a promoter of sports in general.
Francis died Monday at 88 and the soccer and sports world immediately paid homage.
All sports events scheduled for Monday in Italy were postponed to mourn Francis, including four top-flight soccer matches. A minute of silence will be observed before all sports events this week, the Italian Olympic Committee said.
“Italian soccer joins in the mourning of millions of people following the death of Pope Francis. He was a great example of Christian caring and dignity in the face of suffering and he was always attentive to the sports world and particularly soccer, of which he was a fan,” said Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina. “He will always remain in the hearts of the faithful and lovers of soccer.”
Francis’ passion for soccer became known almost immediately after he was elected pope in 2013 when San Lorenzo tweeted a photo of him holding up the club’s crest. He was even a card-carrying member of the club, with San Lorenzo ID No. 88,235.
Read the text of the announcement of the death of Pope Francis
Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell, second from left, flanked by, from left, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Substitute for the Secretariat of State, Cardinal Edgar PeÒa Parra, and Vatican Master of Ceremonies, Archbisop Diego Giovanni Ravelli, announces the death of Pope Francis at the Vatican. Credit: AP/Vatican Media
The text of the announcement of the death of Pope Francis, which was read Monday by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta, where Francis lived. Farrell was accompanied by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, substitute chief of staff and Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of liturgical ceremonies.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, The Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the Father’s house. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His church.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of God, One and Triune.’’
Where Pope Francis stood on key issues
Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church's teaching in areas such as the death penalty and nuclear weapons, upheld it in others such as abortion, and made inroads with Muslims and believers who long felt marginalized.
Where Francis, who died on Monday, stood on key issues:
Abortion
Francis upheld church teaching opposing abortion and echoed his predecessors in saying that human life is sacred and must be defended. He described abortion, as well as euthanasia, as evidence of today’s “throwaway culture” and likened abortion to “hiring a hit man to resolve a problem.”
Abuse
In his most significant move, Francis defrocked former U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick after a Vatican investigation determined he abused minors as well as adults. Francis later passed church laws abolishing the use of pontifical secrecy and establishing procedures to investigate bishops who abuse or cover up for predator priests.
LGBTQ+
Francis assured gay people that God loves them as they are, that “being homosexual is not a crime,” and that “everyone, everyone, everyone” is welcome in the church.
During his pontificate, the Vatican reversed itself and said transgender people could be baptized, serve as godparents and witnesses at weddings; and approved same-sex blessings. But while he met several times with members of the LGBTQ+ community, Francis didn’t change church teaching stating that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered.”
Pope Francis' most memorable quotes
Pope Francis, who died on Monday, had an informal, lighthearted speaking style, and sometimes he even created words in a combination of his native Spanish with the Italian that he spoke as pope.
Some of his memorable quotes:
“Brothers and sisters, good evening!” -- Francis’ first words delivered from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica after his election as pontiff on March 13, 2013.
“Who am I to judge?” — Francis, responding to a question about a purportedly gay priest, in a comment that set the tone for a papacy more welcoming to LGBTQ+ Catholics, July 28, 2013.
“It’s an honor if the Americans attack me.” — Francis’ quip to French journalist-author Nicholas Seneze, referring to U.S. conservative criticism, aboard the papal plane about Seneze’s book “How America Wants to Change the Pope,” Sept. 4, 2019.
Pope died at 7:35 a.m. Monday, cardinal announces
Images of the late Pope Francis are shown as a Catholic nun walks inside a church in Quezon city, Philippines. Credit: AP/Aaron Favila
Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced that Francis died at 7:35 a.m. local time Monday.
“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,″ Farrell said in the announcement.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized.
“With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite, merciful love of God, One and Tribune.″
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