Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich leads memorial mass honoring Pope Francis
Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich led a memorial mass on Wednesday to mourn the death of Pope Francis, in a solemn gathering at Holy Name Cathedral.
Hundreds of Catholics, along with interfaith and religious leaders, gathered for the mass honoring the late pontiff.
"Francis not only believed, but he had a palpable experience of the risen Lord. Not only did he believe Jesus rose from the dead 2000 years ago, he was very deeply in touch with the reality that the risen Lord is acting and leading the church in our day," Cupich said.
Among those here honoring the pope's memory was retired Minister Patti Nakai, of the Buddhist Temple of Chicago.
"We all knew he was very frail and hanging on, and the fact that he hung on for Easter, I think that showed that he wanted to serve his flock for that special occasion," she said.
Nakai met Pope Francis in Rome in 2015 and 2018 as part of Buddhist-Catholic collaborations.
"I'm one of the rare people who got to meet the pope twice, and it's just the feeling about him you know, just so caring and genuine. So I'm very sad that he passed, but I felt to come here and honor him," she said.
Parishioners attending the memorial mass at Holy Name Cathedral said Pope Francis embodied what it meant to be a pope.
"He practiced what he preached, and he believed in everyone and everything. Just a great person," Christel Roberts said.
Roberts said she hopes the next pope will be aligned with the way Pope Francis led the Catholic church.
Cupich said he'll be leaving for Rome at the end of the week, to take part in the conclave to choose the next pope.
