Karen Kistler

karen.kistler@salisbusypost.com

On Easter Monday, April 21, Pope Francis died at the age of 88, and in remarks from the Diocese of Charlotte’s Bishop Michael Martin, “it’s truly a day of sorrow for the universal church, but also in particular for the church of the Diocese of Charlotte.”

In a release from the Diocese of Charlotte, it was noted that he was appointed by Pope Francis in 2024 to serve as the bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, which covers the western half of North Carolina and includes more than 550,000 Catholics, 93 churches, 20 schools and more than 50 ministries.

Martin said those in the diocese here in western North Carolina woke up to learn the sad news of the pope death and it is a mournful occasion, but he added that it is also an occasion of hope and “that the one thing that is assured for all of us is that death is not the final answer, but rather that we have been promised everlasting life.”

Martin said that it was fitting that we celebrate Pope Francis’ life in the Easter season as he himself celebrated Easter, the gift of resurrection yesterday and today in eternal life.

Telling that he had the joy of meeting Pope Francis one time himself, Martin said that today was “a day of sadness for me personally but also for Catholics around our diocese as well as around the world.”

As noted in the Catholic News Herald, Pope Francis “had a transformative effect on Catholics around the world and here at home.”

During his remarks about the pope, Martin allowed a time for questions and he was asked if the pope inspired him. Martin said that Pope Francis had appointed him to serve as the bishop of Charlotte, and “so to say that his life has a particular meaning for me or an inspiration for me is a bit of an understatement that he would find me worthy of being here with all of you and to lead this community of Catholics in western North Carolina. I’m incredibly honored by his selection and so personally to me he means a great deal.”

He did add that he has felt this way about every pope as long as he could remember, noting that being Catholic there is “something about the relationship with the Holy Father.”

He said that he was saddened today and deeply moved. “I feel only blessed that I was able to meet him and that again he enabled me to come here and be here with all of you,” said Martin.

And when Martin met him, he found Pope Francis friendly and serious at times and laughing at others, depending on the moment and the response that was needed.

He said he found him to be “incredibly genuine and I felt an immediate comfort.”

As for any special times of gathering to honor the pope in the local churches, Martin said that the rest of the week in the universal Catholic church, they would begin a period of nine days of official mourning, which is something that would take place at the death of any pope.

This he said, would be “carried out in different ways and different cultures around the world.”

In the Diocese of Charlotte, churches were opened up on Monday evening and all were invited to come for a time of prayer and a time to be together to mourn Pope Francis’ passing.

He also noted that a larger mass would be held for anyone in the diocese to attend on Wednesday, April 23 p.m., at St. Marks’ in Huntersville.

This, Martin said, is “for whomever wants to come and celebrate Pope Francis’ life.”

In the Catholic News Herald, others shared some reflections on the pope including Father Benjamin Roberts, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Monroe who said, “I will always remember Pope Francis as a preacher. From the first moment of his pontificate, he broke open the Word of God and encouraged all of us, by his writings and example, to proclaim the joy of the Gospel.”

Laura Townsend Jones, refugee resettlement director of Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, said that “Pope Francis was consistently a beacon of hope and love in a tumultuous world. His support for refugees and immigrants – and those of us who have dedicated our lives to supporting them and welcoming these strangers into our community – was inspirational and gave us strength and clarity that we are, in fact, serving God’s will regarding preserving the dignity of the human person.”

Father Mark Lawlor, pastor of St. Therese Church in Mooresville said, “I remember well the excitement that accompanied his election and installation. He was the first pope from Latin America, which is a large portion of the universal church. Pope Francis’ style has been seen as humble.”

Martin said that the process now would be a state funeral and “then usually within a week to 10 days, the conclave will begin in Rome.”

When asked how he would encourage people to navigate this time, Bishop Martin said he would encourage people to turn to the Lord in prayer and turn to others.

“That’s the beauty of the church,” he said, “is that we’re not in this by ourselves. We share our mourning together and we’re absolutely encouraged to be together in a difficult time.”