Minnesotans mourn Pope Francis at Cathedral, honor his empathy and compassion
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Mourners gathered at the Cathedral of St. Paul Monday to remember Pope Francis, who died Monday morning at the age of 88.
Earlier this year, he had been hospitalized for more than a month for treatment of respiratory issues. He made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday — a day before his death — to bless thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square.
There was a moment of silence at the start of Monday morning’s Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul, for prayers for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis. There was also a special Mass at noon Monday at the cathedral with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, to commemorate the pope’s passing.
Frank Kiesner of Edina was one of hundreds of people who attended the special Mass.
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“I have great respect for what this Pope taught, and his concern for the marginal, his concern for people and I have a great aversion to the sentiment of we’ve been blessed, let’s not share it. And that angers me, and he stood against that,” Kiesner said.
Abel Pineiro was also at the Mass and expressed his love for the pope.
“It’s like when you lose a parent, you know, maybe you don’t get to spend as much time with them as you want, but the beauty of it all is that they leave you love letters. So all we have to do is read the beautiful things he wrote,” Pineiro said.
Others, like Deb Link from Inver Grove Heights, talked about the qualities they admired in the pope. Link said she hopes people remember the example Pope Francis set.
“He’s very humble, and service to others is what that’s about, serving others, and he was just very humble in the way he approached that,” Link said.
The Cathedral will host special ceremonies throughout the nine days of official mourning, as designated by the Vatican.
Roughly 18 percent of Minnesota adults are Catholic, according to a religious landscape study done in 2023-24 by the Pew Research Center.
But not everyone who paid their respects to the pope is a Catholic. Dale Watt lives near the Cathedral, and he felt compelled to come to the church to sit and think for a minute.
“I’m not a Catholic, but I thought he was someone worth remembering and thinking about his care for everyone,” Watt said.
Watt said he was impressed by Pope Francis’ humility.
“He led a very large and powerful and rich organization, but he never showed his lack of care or concern for the very least among us. Thursday he went to see a group of inmates in Rome, and I remember him doing that at the start of his papacy and throughout it,” Watt said.
“If there are people who are more marginalized than people in prison — society doesn’t care about them. If they commit crimes against society and we just lock them up and try to put them out of our minds — but they’re people, too, and he never forgot that.”
A Minnesota theology professor who met Pope Francis several times calls him a warm, compassionate person who truly cared for people.
“Pope Francis was really an excellent listener. I mean, when you spoke, he was really listening intently. And then he thought. He would really think before he would speak. It wasn’t like ceremonial, you know, it was real, authentic listening,” said Kristin Colberg, who teaches at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University.
Colberg said Pope Francis will be remembered as the first Latin American pope who brought a more global understanding to the church, and for his attention to the plight of immigrants and environmental concerns.
Colberg took part in a multi-year dialogue called the Synod on Synodality that wrapped up last year. She said it was the first time a pope gathered people from across the church to hear their thoughts on its direction.
“If you wanted to renew the church, and you wanted to update the church, and you wanted to hear what people were saying, you couldn’t have done it in a more radical, comprehensive way than Pope Francis did it. And that doesn't mean it all went perfect, but it was brave and humble, and it couldn’t have happened on a more massive scale,” Colberg said.
In the wake of the news early Monday that Francis had died, Minnesota religious and political leaders shared statements on social media and elsewhere:
Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Excerpt from a statement posted online: How providential that our loving God would call Pope Francis home just as we begin our 50 days of celebrating Christ’s victory over sin and death. I trust that he felt the comforting prayers of the world as he joined the crowd in St. Peter’s Square yesterday for the Church’s celebration of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. The Holy Father’s powerful Easter greeting, expressing his closeness to those experiencing the scourge of war and abandonment, will be long remembered as his testament.
I will always be grateful to Pope Francis for assigning me to serve as the Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. I have fond memories this day of all the times that he assured me of his prayers for this Archdiocese.
Bishop Robert Barron, Diocese of Winona-Rochester
From a social media post: Our Holy Father Pope Francis has died. I would invite everyone to pray for the repose of his soul. He was a man of simplicity, compassion, and deep concern for those on the margins of our society. Let us thank God for the life and ministry of Pope Francis and let us pray for the Cardinals who will soon gather to choose his successor.
Excerpt from an additional statement posted online: Pope Francis was a great pastor who spoke from the heart and with tender affection. I had the pleasure of meeting with Pope Francis several times during his papacy. On the occasions when he and I spoke, his comments would burn their way into my heart and mind.
Bishop Patrick Neary, Diocese of St. Cloud
Excerpt from a statement posted online: To me Pope Francis was a light shining in the darkness, a friend of the poor and a prophet of God’s mercy and justice. He envisioned the Church to be a field hospital that would meet human beings precisely where they are, just as Christ did. He called us to be better stewards of the earth. By introducing the synod on synodality, he reminded us of the need to lovingly encounter, listen, and discern together God’s will for the Church.
On a personal note, I was so honored to meet him as a new bishop in September 2023 and felt not only his holiness but his humanness. He was just one of us. May he now rest from his labors, for his good deeds go with him!
Bishop Andrew Cozzens, Diocese of Crookston
Excerpt from a statement posted online: Pope Francis changed my life. He had a profound impact on the entire world, especially through his preaching of the joy of the Gospel and his witness to the transforming power of mercy. He will be remembered as a reforming pope who sought, in his own way, to make our Church reflect more fully the truth and simplicity of the Gospel. ...
The last time I saw Pope Francis in person was in June 2023, when I asked him to bless the monstrance and the chalice for the 10th National Eucharistic Congress. I, along with many of the organizers and benefactors of the Congress, had a private audience with him. He spoke beautifully about his desire that many graces would flow to the whole Church in the United States. God truly answered his prayer. That chalice he blessed, I was privileged to use at our Chrism Mass just last week in the Diocese of Crookston.
Bishop Daniel Felton, Diocese of Duluth
Excerpt from a press release: At this moment, the faithful of the Diocese of Duluth join Catholics around the world in mourning his death, and more importantly join millions of people in pausing our day to pray for his soul.
As the Vicar of Christ on earth and the successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis faithfully guided the Church, teaching the world how to follow Jesus and live out the Gospel. His life was a testament to God’s love, and through his words and actions, he shepherded the Church with wisdom and compassion.
During this time of mourning, Catholics give thanks for his leadership, his service to Christ and His Church, and the many ways he strengthened the faith of Catholics worldwide.
Bishop Chad Zielinski, Diocese of New Ulm
Excerpt from a statement posted online: Pope Francis will be forever etched in my heart and soul. While serving at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, I was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Fairbanks on December 15, 2014. As one who served three combat tours as a military chaplain, I immediately embraced Pope Francis’s vision of the Church as a field hospital that was amidst those suffering, crying for mercy, forgiveness, and hope. The Holy Father repeated on many occasions that we are missionary disciples of mercy and forgiveness. This personal encounter of Christ’s mercy, forgiveness, and care for the poor will be a constant tug in the hearts and minds of many for years to come. His sacred footprints left in places in the peripheries have changed hearts and minds forever.
I had the honor of meeting Pope Francis in 2015, 2016, and 2020. He exuded a profound joy, compassion, and love of the Lord. These personal encounters, his preaching, and his witness have transformed me as a bishop to be an ambassador of mercy.
Abbot Douglas Mullin, Saint John’s Abbey
Exerpt from a written statement: The monks of Saint John’s Abbey give thanks to God for the gift of the life and ministry of Pope Francis. His witness to the Gospel—marked by humility, mercy, and a profound concern for the poor and the marginalized—has deeply inspired our monastic community. His call to care for creation, to accompany those on the margins, and to build a Church of dialogue and compassion resonated with our Benedictine commitment to prayer, community, and hospitality. We mourn his passing, even as we rejoice in the enduring legacy of his pastoral heart and prophetic voice. May he rest in the peace of Christ.
As abbot of Saint John’s Abbey, I have drawn strength from Pope Francis’s vision of servant leadership—leadership rooted not in power, but in listening, mercy, and a deep attentiveness to the movement of the Holy Spirit. His vision of a Church that goes out—a Church of encounter, compassion, and joy—has encouraged me in guiding our monastic community with hope and humility.
Gov. Tim Walz
From a social media post: Pope Francis led by example, centering his life and papacy on being a voice for the less fortunate. He inspired us all to better embody the teachings of Christ: love, compassion, and justice.
Gwen and I are joining Catholics and Christians around the world in mourning his loss.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar
From a social media post: We will greatly miss the Pope: a voice for the voiceless. The one time I saw him pray for and address the gathered at St. Peter’s Square, when he finished he did what he always did—he greeted and blessed those with disabilities first.
U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer
From a social media post: Jacquie and I are saddened to hear of the passing of Pope Francis this morning. May God rest his soul.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
