RICHMOND, Va. — Bishop Barry Knestout, leader of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, recalled a special opportunity to speak with Pope Francis during a trip to Rome last October.
Knestout’s trip was part of a pilgrimage with parishioners from the Basilica of St. Andrew in Roanoke.
“His first language is Spanish, of course. I was speaking to him in English, but he responded in English to say, ‘Please pray for me.’ I assured him that we would keep him on our prayers, and we continue to do that,” Bishop Knestout recalled.
Pope Francis, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88.
The Vatican announced Francis died at 7:35 a.m. on Monday, one day after Easter.
In 2017, Pope Francis appointed Knestout to lead the more than 130 Virginia parishes and 246,000 Catholics that live from the Eastern Shore to Bristol.
“I’m very grateful for that, and that was an expression I know of trust that he showed in me to be able to take a diocese and to be able to provide oversight and care for the people of God here,” Bishop Knestout stated. “I'm grateful for that, and I certainly remember him always for that gift to me of the opportunity to serve here in the Diocese of Richmond.”
Bishop Knestout met with CBS 6 in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond ahead of leading a special Monday noon mass to mourn the loss of their Holy Father.
“He engaged people and was very much a pastor for them. More than a theologian, more than a philosopher, but certainly a pastor to each of us. That's what people love about him, and also will remember about him as well,” he explained.
The Catholic Church and its members will now enter a nine day period of mourning for Pope Francis.
Dr. Andrew Chesnut, chair of Catholic Studies at VCU, described Pope Francis as a “great reformer” who emphasized a church of compassion over condemnation.
Chesnut spoke about the significance that Francis was the first non-European pope in 1,300 years.
“He’s the first new world, first Latin American Pope ever, as it should be. Given that 50 percent, half of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics reside in the Americas, and 40 percent specifically in Latin America. That was one of the major reasons he was elected as a Latin American Pope in the first place,” Chesnut described.
International News
From Buenos Aires to Rome: The life of Pope Francis
Much of Pope Francis' teaching focused on the impoverished. He denounced certain tenets of capitalism in early writings, remarking, "How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?"
Francis also emphasized environmental stewardship, referring to the planet as our "common home" and urging the faithful to take responsibility for its care.
“He also made history by becoming the first Black Robe or Jesuit to be elected Pope. A lot of different Catholic orders had always regarded the Jesuits as kind of too liberal, too lefty, too intellectual, and so he made history on that front too,” Chesnut stated. “I think we also can really see him as kind of a bridge from a more traditionalist church to becoming a more modernist church.”
Chesnut said Pope Francis’ fame and his influence went beyond the 1.4 billion Catholics despite living a modest life.
“He was very humble. He lived in a modest apartment. He eschewed many of the trappings of the papacy,” he stated.
Following the nine-day period of mourning, the focus will be on Pope Francis’ successor.
Chesnut believed Card. Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines or Card. Peter Kodwo Turkson of Ghana have good chances of being chosen during the Vatican Conclave as Catholic populations in Asia and Africa have surged in numbers in recent years.
Bishop Barry Knestout has issued the following statement regarding the passing of Pope Francis:
“Along with the faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, I mourn the passing of Pope Francis with great sadness and offer prayers to Our Lord for the happy repose of his soul.
As I reflect on his pontificate, I marvel at the way each Holy Father makes a unique imprint on the papacy and the Catholic Church. Pope Francis’ charisms were his simple, conversational style, and his charitable efforts in reaching out to those on the peripheries – the poor, vulnerable, and alienated. His emphasis on synodality has taught us that by listening attentively to one another, we can love as Christ in a fractured and polarized world.
I was blessed to meet Pope Francis three times – most recently in Rome last October during a pilgrimage made by the parishioners of the Basilica of St. Andrew, Roanoke. During each of our encounters, the pope greeted me with a gentle, friendly smile, and just a few words in English: “Pray for me!”
I assured him then of our prayers. We continue to pray now for this devoted shepherd of the Church. We commend his soul to the care of Christ, the Good Shepherd. Guided by Pope Francis’ pastoral example, may the Church continually make progress in charity, imitating more perfectly Christ’s merciful love in all we think, say, and do.”
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky| Facebook| Instagram| X| Threads| TikTok| YouTube
