Pope Francis will be remembered for his empathy, humility and gentle leadership, Southwestern Pennsylvania religious leaders told TribLive Monday.
Francis, 88, died about 7:30 a.m. Rome time — about 1:30 a.m. locally.
His death came the day after Christians celebrated Easter, the highest holiday of faith.
“I think all of us this morning were somewhat shocked at the news as we awoke that our Holy Father had passed away,” said Greensburg Catholic Bishop Larry Kulick. “I think this is primarily because we saw those images yesterday on Easter Sunday as the church celebrated the glory of the resurrection of Christ. And our Holy Father was not only able to come out onto the balcony at St. Peter’s and wish everyone an Easter greeting, but also then went throughout the square greeting people.”
‘He never dismissed anybody’
Francis’ death “makes real for the world what we as Christians celebrated yesterday,” Pittsburgh Catholic Bishop David A. Zubik said.
The pontiff will be remembered for the mercy he showed people, from the world’s top political leaders to those imprisoned or marginalized by their station in life.
“He really had a beautiful way of respecting every single individual,” Zubik said. “He never dismissed anybody.
. @BishopZubik says one word best describes @Pontifex: “Mercy.” pic.twitter.com/EzZHj9nazz
— Tom Davidson (@TribDavidson) April 21, 2025
“We are experiencing this loss as a family,” Zubik said from his office in the diocesan center on the grounds of St. Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh’s East Carnegie neighborhood. “And as a family would, we need to come together, to be together, and to pray together.”
Zubik led a Mass Monday evening at St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh.
“He was a pastor and as a pastor he was a father,” Zubik said during his meeting with the media in his office.
. @BishopZubik talks about his meetings with Pope Francis. pic.twitter.com/eIZsWskdaU
— Tom Davidson (@TribDavidson) April 21, 2025
Kulick also celebrated Mass on Monday at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg.
“Many people as you can imagine have asked me today, ‘How would you define the legacy of Pope Francis?’ From my perspective and I think from many, it would be a rather simple one — he was a pastor.”
A pastor, as a leader of a faith community, is often thought of as a shepherd watching over a flock of sheep.
“He reminded us constantly of how we must approach both the sacred and, dare I say, profane, with humility, with faith, with a spirit of always recognizing the care we should have for the poor and the marginalized in the world.”
A lesson in patience, with a smile
Kulick shared a story from a visit to Rome when he was doing bishop orientation. He had an opportunity to go into a chapel to meet Francis.
“As soon as the doors open and the Holy Father, on his own power, started to walk slowly, slowly toward the center of the room where his chair was. With the assistance of a cane and sort of limping, he went very slowly. And of course, there was a hush that filled that room. … And all of us watched our Holy Father slowly move to his chair.
“And of course, as he sat down, he smiled and he said ‘I hope I have taught you the virtue of patience and how important it is in the pastoral ministry to be patient with people,’ ” Kulick said.
People in the pews chuckled.
“He then said something else that I think reflected not only his expectation of his bishops, his clergy, but of all of us. He said, ‘I would like to hear from you. I would like you to ask any questions you have, raise any concerns you may have, to even express any disagreements you may have.’
“Then he paused. And he smiled. And then he said in Italian, ‘Of course, with charity.’ ”
People in the pews again laughed.
“I think that really defines the life and ministry of Pope Francis,” Kulick said. “Listening, humility, teaching patience, reminding all of us to do what we do with charity, mercy and love.
“The first thing he would say is, ‘I don’t want a legacy because it’s not about me, it’s about Christ,’ ” Kulick said.
Pontiff = bridge-builder
The word pontiff means bridge-builder, the Rev. Liddy Barlow noted. She’s executive minister of Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania, a multi-denominational group in the region.
“Pope Francis was an extraordinary bridge-builder among Christians of all traditions. His commitment to ecumenical and interfaith relations, and to fostering peace and understanding among all people, is an inspiration to us as we seek to build bridges here in the City of Bridges and the surrounding region,” Barlow said. “The pope won the love and respect of Christians of all denominations through his humility, his authenticity, and his care for the vulnerable, especially immigrants and refugees, victims of violence, and the poor.”
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Pittsburgh Episcopal Bishop Ketlen Solak echoed Barlow’s sentiment: “Pope Francis reflected his deep understanding of the Christian life by the leadership he exercised with words and deeds.”
The Turkish Cultural Center Pittsburgh also released a statement mourning Francis for his “genuine commitment to dialogue across cultural and religious boundaries.
“His life was a testament to the transformative power of faith and conversation in bringing people together,” the statement reads in part.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh also extended its sympathies to Catholics in a Facebook post.
“(Francis) repeatedly condemned antisemitism as a ‘sin’ and worked to build upon ‘Nostra Aetate,’ the landmark document which transformed Catholic-Jewish relations 60 years ago,” the federation said in the statement. “Our thoughts are with our Catholic brothers and sisters at this time.”