Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, has responded to the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88 after months of declining health. "I have received word that our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has died. In this moment of profound loss for me personally and for the Church, I take this moment to express our gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the gift of his papacy and to pray for the repose of his soul," Cupich wrote in a statement obtained by WTTW.
As the leader of the Archdiocese of Chicago since 2014 and elevated to cardinal in 2016 by Pope Francis himself, Cupich is set to participate in the upcoming conclave tasked with electing the next pope. Following the news of the pontiff's death, a memorial service was announced by the Archdiocese, with Cardinal Cupich presiding over the event to be held at Holy Name Cathedral. According to an interview with ABC7 Chicago, Cupich shared that he and the late Pope shared an immediate connection and a common vision for the Church that was synodal, listening, and walked together. "Are there people who don't like this? Yes, but I think that the direction is irreversible," Cupich said.
Among the local congregants at Holy Name Cathedral, there was a palpable sense of shock at the news of Pope Francis' passing. "I was just so sad," Nivea Mehta, a parishioner, said in an ABC7 Chicago report. "I thought he was getting better yesterday when we saw him." The late Pope's last public appearance was during Easter when he called for world peace. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Sen. Dick Durbin also issued statements honoring the life of Pope Francis, calling for a memory of kindness and a "Francis Day" of world peace, respectively.
