Houston Catholics mourn Pope Francis, reflect on legacy of humility and inclusion
The church bells rang in downtown Houston, Texas, as Catholics, with hearts both heavy and grateful, came for comfort.
At the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, parishioners mourned Pope Francis — the pontiff they never met, but always felt close to.
"He has gone away from all the conservative ways and he's more of a people person. He's reached out to the poor, the handicapped, the lonely," said June Barth, who has been a Catholic since birth.
More than 7 million Catholics live in Texas. The Houston-Galveston Diocese is the nation's fifth largest and one of the most diverse — mass is offered in 14 languages.
When asked how he comforts such a diverse population, Father Jeffrey Bame said, "With the gospel. And so we just, these last four days, celebrated in three languages in this building that I was present with, just in this community alone."
Pope Francis died Monday at age 88 nearly a month after being released from Rome hospital where he spent weeks being treated for a respiratory infection that turned into double pneumonia. The Vatican said the cause of death was a cerebral stroke that led to irreversible heart failure.
On the day of Pope Francis' death, many of the faithful were considering his life and legacy, which was marked by his unshakeable commitment to humility and inclusion — values that mirror their own.
"Pope Francis, he took that name for a reason, to help the poor, be with the children. And I think that touched me. He lived a very humble life," parishioner Tam Bui said.
One in five American adults, or about 53 million people, describe themselves as Catholic. While 78% viewed Pope Francis favorably, according to Pew Research, one of the stances that made him a polarizing figure was on immigration.
"We're an immigrant country, and we should realize that everybody is our brother and our sister and we should reach out and help wherever we can," parishioner Charley Green said.
In churches like this, where belief is expressed in multiple languages, the loss of a pope is a death in the family, and the sorrow, like the faith, runs deep.
