The pontiff who inspired millions on the peripheries – people like me – has died. The Catholic Church is in mourning, and soon will call its princes – the College of Cardinals – into conclave to elect the 267th Bishop of Rome, Successor of Peter, Vicar of Christ.
According to a statement from the Vatican camerlengo – Cardinal Kevin Farrell – Pope Francis “returned to the house of the Father,” at 7:35 a.m. (UTC) April 21, 2025, Easter Monday. It was 5:35 p.m. Easter Monday in Guam; and I remember looking at the time on my phone at that moment. I had just opened the side door to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Yigo to enter the church and participate in the nightly Holy Rosary that precedes the nightly Holy Mass.
“He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love,” Cardinal Farrell wrote in his announcement, “especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.”
Francis’ unrelenting and sometimes coarse defense of the poor and the marginalized – especially of refugees, migrants, and members of the LGBTQ+ communities – has been criticized harshly by hardline conservatives in and outside the church since his election to the papacy on March 13, 2013. His critique of climate change deniers and capitalism defined in his attack on the “globalization of indifference,” has rocked the Christian world, ideological movements, and governments alike.
For me, the Gospel came alive through his pontificate; by his words and his actions, his mercy and his compassion. I saw in him Christ’s representative on earth, which corresponds to one of the pope’s titles.
From the moment the world caught a glimpse of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Argentine bishop who stepped onto the balcony the night of his election and took the name Francis, we knew there was something different about this man and, more importantly, a difference that would happen in the church he would lead.
That church has become more open to people like me, and many others who previously felt unwelcome and judged. It seems to have become more merciful, more inclusive, more evangelical. Pope Francis made the church a little more like her Bridegroom.
“Even as we hang our heads in sorrow … we do so with fervent prayer and deep gratitude to our loving God for the gift of this holy man,” Archbishop Ryan Jimenez of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Agana said in a statement tonight. Archbishop Jimenez was selected a decade ago by Pope Francis to be the Bishop of Chalan Kanoa. Last year, the Holy Father appointed him to his current post.
“It is with profound sorrow that I mourn the passing of the Holy Father,” Saipan Senator Celina Roberto Babauta, a lifelong devout Catholic said in a statement. “My heart aches deeply, a pain amplified by my close connection to our local church and its leaders. May he be granted God’s loving mercy and eternal rest in peace.”
“His leadership of the Catholic Church has ushered a culture of compassion and moral courage,” CNMI Governor Arnold Palacios, also a lifelong Catholic, said. “Pope Francis continually used his international platform to advocate for and speak for marginalized populations and vulnerable groups. In our predominantly Catholic islands, the Pope’s teachings have guided our families, helped shaped our culture, and inspired hope in times of hardship. Take the time to commemorate and honor his memory in prayer and remembrance. May his soul rest in eternal peace, and let us, as an island community with strong religious convictions, honor his memory by living out the values he championed: love, humility, and service to one another.”
“Not only was he the head of the Catholic Church, but he was also a global leader who often took bold stances on world issues, bringing a perspective shaped by his strong Christian values and principles,” said Guam Governor Leon Guerrero, also a lifelong Catholic. “His passing during the Easter season, a time that reminds us of renewal and reflection, feels especially poignant. It invites us to pause and consider how we can carry forward the values he championed: kindness, dignity, and care for one another. On behalf of the people of Guam, we extend our heartfelt condolences to all who mourn his loss. Pope Francis leaves behind a powerful legacy that will continue to shape the way we lead, live, and connect with each other.”
“Christians often speak of someone who was not a Christian but lived by Christian values, perhaps not even knowing they were doing so,” Mabel Doge Luhan of Saipan said. “I am certainly no Christian, and the only superior being I’ve ever worshiped is Robert Redford. But Mr. Bergoglio followed my principles to an uncanny degree. Why, he might even unconsciously be a Mabelist! He truly had his head screwed on right. I cannot speak to his religious relevance, but as a social and human force, he was one of the best this planet has ever seen. Where he perhaps faltered, such as his less than complete acceptance of LGBT people, I think was solely a result of his generation, and I can only wish that we have more of his intellectual and moral successors.”
I am devastated by this news, as I’m sure many of you are. God bless Pope Francis, his successor, the Holy Catholic Church, and all the people of the world.
