Charlotte bishop remembers Pope Francis, churches to open doors Monday

Chase Jordan, The Charlotte Observer on Apr 21, 2025

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Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte said Monday that the death of Pope Francis is a day sorrow for the Catholic Church and the diocese in particular.

“Close to 600,000 Catholics, here in our diocese in western North Carolina, wake up this morning to the sad news and realize 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 at a news conference Monday at the diocese office in Charlotte. “I believe it’s fitting that we celebrate Pope Francis’ life within the Easter season, just yesterday himself having celebrated Easter, having celebrated the gift of resurrection that Jesus promises to all of us.”

Martin announced that the public is invited to join Catholics in remembering Pope Francis from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Western North Carolina churches across the Diocese of Charlotte.

In statements released by the diocese, the Rev. Mark Lawlor of St. Therese Church in Mooresville recalled the excitement around Pope Francis’ election.

“His ministry goals have been inclusive and open… I appreciate his wisdom and thoughtfulness.”

Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune of the Diocese of Charleston, the one Catholic diocese for South Carolina, issued a statement Monday that spoke of Pope Francis’ unwavering commitment to the world’s poor and impoverished.

“It is with deep sorrow that I join the Universal Church in mourning the passing of Pope Francis,” the statement said. “His leadership, compassion and unwavering commitment to peace and justice have inspired millions worldwide, and in a special way the young.”

Pope’s death

The pope’s warm, humble, no-nonsense manner galvanized the Roman Catholic Church and drew widespread admiration from outsiders almost from the moment of his surprise election to the throne of St. Peter in 2013, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

Francis was born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 17, 1936, the son of Italian immigrants. He was ordained as a priest in December 1969.

Francis, the first Latin American pope in history, was a native of Argentina, where he was a bishop. He hadn’t returned to his home country since being elected pope in 2013.

As pope, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio made his first trip outside Rome in July 2013, to the Italian island of Lampedusa to highlight the plight of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and the lives lost at sea, according to the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops timeline of his papacy.

In 2015, Francis traveled to Cuba and made his first visit to the United States.

Francis in 2019 opened a global summit on sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. He visited Iraq in 2021, and the same year underwent surgery to remove part of his colon.

Selecting a new pope

The Vatican’s process for selecting a new pope is called a conclave, known for the white smoke from the chimney at the Sistine Chapel to signify that a new pope has been chosen.

Cardinals will be called to the Vatican for the selection process.

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