(The Center Square) –- Archbishop José H. Gomez praised Pope Francis, who died Monday morning, for the kindness he showed Los Angeles Catholics during difficult times.
“I have to say my feelings today are very personal. I’m going to miss him big time. I’m sure we will all miss him greatly,” Gomez said during his approximately 10-minute sermon during a noon Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles
“Pope Francis was always very close to me and all of us in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles,” Gomez said during the Mass, which live-streamed on YouTube.
He noted the pontiff reached out to the archdiocese with a “beautiful message” of support for those affected by the Los Angeles County wildfires in January.
“He was the first pope from the Americas and the first who spoke Spanish as his native language,” Gomez told the medium-size audience in the half-filled cathedral. “I always, always remember his passion and the urgency he felt about the church’s mission, and I will also remember his sense of humor.”
Pope Francis closely followed the Archdiocese of Los Angeles during difficult times, Gomez said. He noted the pontiff was troubled when he heard about the 2023 murder of Bishop David O’Connell.
“I will always be moved by how he offered prayers and condolences,” Gomez said.
Earlier in a statement Monday, Gomez said he joins the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Catholics in grieving the loss of Pope Francis.
“In this beautiful Easter season, when we celebrate our hope in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we pray that the angels may lead Pope Francis into paradise, that the saints and martyrs welcome him, and that God in his mercy will make his face shine upon his faithful servant and grant him eternal rest in the love that never ends,” Gomez said on the archdiocese website.
“In this time of mourning, my prayer is that all of us in the Church will honor Pope Francis’ legacy by remembering that he called us to urgent tasks that are still not finished,” Gomez said.
In a statement Monday morning on his website, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom joined the world in mourning the pope’s death.
“He saw God in all His creatures, reminding us of humanity’s obligations toward each other and the world we live in, asking us to ‘care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation,’” Newsom said.
President Donald Trump Monday ordered all state and federal flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of the pope.
