‘It’s a world event’: Worshipers gather in Spokane to honor life of Pope Francis

At the front of the church on Thursday, draped in black, stood a photograph of a smiling Pope Francis.

The leader of the Catholic Church died Monday, just a day after presiding over Easter mass in Rome. He was 88.

To honor the late pontiff, the Cathedral of our Lady of Lourdes dedicated its noon service on Thursday to honor Francis.

Presiding over the service was Bishop Thomas Daly, of the Diocese of Spokane, who personally met with Francis for three hours on Feb. 3, 2020.

“What a great way to end your papacy, to die in the Easter season,” Daly said after the mass. “It’s springtime, it’s hope and it’s renewed life, and eternal life.”

Speaking before a crowd that was about half the 1,200-person capacity of the cathedral in downtown Spokane, Daly said that Francis strove to uplift those who are less fortunate.

“When Francis came, first of all, he was the first pope from South America; his emphasis was mercy and hope,” Daly said. “But he wasn’t much for formalities. He went to the heart of the Gospel, which is mercy and love.”

Those themes were repeated during Francis’ final message on Easter Sunday.

“Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter,” he said in his last public comments at the Vatican in Rome. He then asked an archbishop to read his address, a blessing “to the city and the world.”

His speech mentioned the conflicts in South Sudan, Yemen, the Horn of Africa, Myanmar and the South Caucuses.

“May the risen Christ grant Ukraine, devastated by war, his Easter gift of peace, and encourage all parties involved to pursue efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace,” the message read.

“Even with his weak condition, he was able to be a voice for the voiceless,” Reni Meak, a nun from Indonesia, told the Washington Post.

After the service in Spokane on Thursday, Brian Kraut, the director of evangelization for the local diocese, said the mass served to honor the work that Francis had done.

“It’s a world event, because a leader like Pope Francis sought what was best for all people,” Kraut said. “That’s not the world we live in today.”

Daly said Francis’ final message on Easter was a reflection of the 12 years he served as pope.

“Don’t let wealthier countries harm the countries where the poor are,” Daly said of Francis’ message. “It takes many decades to say what this pope did for the church. That will take time. I would say as a bishop, by the pope who appointed me here, it was that – mercy and hope.”

The Washington Post contributed to this story.