- Following Pope Francis' death early Monday, Bishop Oscar A. Solis of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City reflected on the pope's life.
- Bishop Solis highlighted the great love Pope Francis had for all people and highlighted some of his virtues.
- A memorial Mass in honor of the late pope will be held in Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
Following news of the death of Pope Francis on Monday morning, Bishop Oscar A. Solis of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, which oversees all of Utah, reflected on the life and impact of the late pope. The bishop gave a statement about the pope’s death during a press conference on Monday afternoon.
“We are saddened by the death of our Holy Father. Personally, he is a very admirable man, a man whom I consider as a true shepherd, a great leader of the church, who reaches not only to the Catholic faith, to the Catholic Church, but to all the people of the world,” Bishop Solis said.
Bishop Solis shared that the Catholic Church is in a time of “solemn and deep transition” as it grieves Pope Francis and prepares to elect a new pope. The bishop added that Pope Francis had a “great love” for all people.
He said that the pope was aware of the people in Utah and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bishop Solis shared that in 2020, when he met Pope Francis and presented himself as the bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, “he paused for a moment and said, ‘The Mormons, our friends.’”
He shared that there were many leaders from Utah who had met with Pope Francis, such as former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and leaders from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including President Russell M. Nelson.
The bishop took time to talk about some of Pope Francis’ virtues and key characteristics, sharing that he had “tremendous words of wisdom” and “advocated for the dignity of every person.” Bishop Solis also emphasized the late pope’s humility and his “heart of simplicity.”
“He touched many people’s lives,” Bishop Solis said. “He was able to reach out to all the sectors of the community, as well as to all government leaders, whether church or civic leaders, you cannot help but admire this wonderful man.”
Bishop Solis added that Pope Francis had a special love for the Earth, encouraging people to love the environment and preserve and protect the world.
The bishop also highlighted that before the pope died, he was out in public with people “sharing the love of God and the joy that God brings into our heart” as they celebrated Easter.
Bishop Solis said the diocese had received many messages of condolences from Latter-day Saint leaders as well as other faith leaders in the state.
“Some wonderful words of comfort, symphonies and most of all, prayers for our Holy Father and for all our Catholic faith community here in the Diocese of Salt Lake City,” he said.
Bishop Solis said he doesn’t think he will be able to attend the funeral for Pope Francis, for which the date has not yet been set.
On Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. MDT, a memorial Mass in honor of Pope Francis will be conducted at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City.
“I hope that you join the Catholic Church in praying for our Holy Father, Pope Francis,” Bishop Solis said. “Thank you for joining us during this time of grief, and I hope that our community can get together.”