Northern Ontario bishop remembers Pope's humility and kindness

Martha Dillman · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 22, 2025 10:40 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 hours ago

Catholics astir the satellite proceed to bespeak connected the passing of Pope Francis, by sharing stories and memories of him.

Pope Francis died astatine the property of 88 connected Monday. The Vatican said Francis died of a cerebral changeable that enactment him successful a coma and led to irreversible bosom failure.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio became person of the Catholic Church connected March 13, 2013, aft Pope Benedict XVI resigned.

He made past successful 2022, erstwhile helium apologized for the "deplorable" behaviour of immoderate members of the Catholic Church successful Canada's residential schoolhouse system. He aboriginal said the strategy carried retired a taste "genocide."

Bishop Thomas Dowd, with the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie, said helium archetypal heard the quality of the pope's decease aboriginal Monday greeting erstwhile helium started receiving substance messages.

"My telephone abruptly started buzzing and I thought 'who is sending maine each of these substance messages?" helium said.

"And past I looked and realized, ohio my gosh, the pope has passed away."

Dowd met Pope Francis respective times and remembers him for his "humility, kindness and a consciousness of humour."

Dowd said Pope Francis adjacent agreed to instrumentality a selfie with him.

"And helium laughed and smiled and said sure, wherefore not," helium said.

"So I pulled up my telephone and that's my archetypal papal selfie ever. Another bishop adjacent photograph bombed america successful the back. It's rather hilarious."

During a trip to Rome, Dowd said helium got to walk a period with the pope for a peculiar gathering connected youth.

"I adjacent had a accidental to kid astir with the pope," helium said.

"At 1 point, 'I said Holy Father, I'm not aft your occupation but here's what I would bash successful this situation.' He laughed and helium looked astatine maine said 'If you privation to beryllium pope, you tin instrumentality it.' It shows the feline had a bully consciousness of humour."

Dowd said he's inviting different Catholics to travel unneurotic and retrieve Pope Francis.

"People of people are feeling their ain feelings, they're having their ain expressions of grief," helium said.

"Grieving is simply a process and that's thing we're going to unrecorded together."

A ceremonial for Pope Francis volition beryllium held connected Saturday successful St. Peter's Square. 

Cardinals from astir the satellite volition caput to Rome to instrumentality portion successful a conclave to elite the adjacent pope.