Among the tributes to Pope Francis, Vatican News spoke to Monsignor Robert Vitillo, who celebrates Pope Francis' leadership in advocating and building relationships in favor of the worlds poorest and marginalized by helping others see that every single human person is a child of God meriting utmost care and respect.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- For thousands of young teens who traveled to Rome for the Jubilee of Teenagers, the announcement of Pope Francis' death came as a shock.

For many, the joy of commemorating the Jubilee Year dedicated to hope was suddenly mingled with grief at the loss of the pontiff, who passed away April 21, and uncertainty about how it would affect their pilgrimage to Rome.

"We have been preparing for the Jubilee since January," 22-year-old Vincenzo Pirico, who was accompanying a group of teens from the central Italian city of Pisa, told Catholic News Service April 27. "When we received the announcement of the Holy Father's death, the spirit with which we participated (these days) truly changed." 

Gustavo Molina, a young man from Quito, Ecuador, said the news of the pope's passing felt "like a cold shower."

However, for him and the group of teens he accompanied, grief over the pope's passing turned to gratefulness for the opportunity to be in Rome to pay their respects and say goodbye to the first Latin American pope.

"We were lucky to be here," Molina told CNS. "Everyone was still active, laughing, trying to stay as united as possible in this moment of mourning for the pope."

"The important thing is that we are all together to give one last honor to our dear pope because he was very much loved, especially in the Hispanic community."

Not long after the pope's death was announced, the Vatican said the closing Mass of the Jubilee of Teenagers would not include the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to become a saint, but it would be a memorial Mass instead.

Pope Francis had approved the decree for the canonization of Blessed Acutis May 23, 2024, and announced the date for his canonization at the end of November.

The late pontiff's April 26 funeral marked the beginning of the "novendiali," a nine-day period of mourning in which memorial Masses are celebrated each day at St. Peter's Basilica.

Nevertheless, despite that period of mourning, tens of thousands filled the main road -- Via della Conciliazione -- that led to a jam-packed St. Peter's Square. Many waving flags, singing and applauding.

According to the Vatican press office, an estimated 200,000 people were present for the memorial Mass.

"I'm sure Pope Francis is looking down on this day, and his heart is filled with joy because he calls us to a Jubilee of hope. And this certainly is a Jubilee of hope, isn't it?" Archbishop Nelson J. Perez of Philadelphia told CNS. 

Like many who had come to Rome, Archbishop Nelson had come for Blessed Acutis' canonization. But for him, the change to a memorial Mass for Pope Francis was a fitting tribute to a pope who loved, and was loved by, young people.

"Pope Francis said that these young people are not the hope of the future; he actually said they are the now of God. And they're certainly giving witness to that here today," the archbishop said. "It's a great blessing."

When asked about his thoughts on the church's future in the coming days before the conclave, Archbishop Nelson told CNS that it was an "exciting time for the church" and is confident that, like Pope Francis, the next pontiff will be exactly what the world needs.

"I was asked not too long ago, 'Are you worried about who the next pope is going to be?' And I said, 'No, absolutely not,'" the archbishop said. "The Spirit of God has always given us the pope that we needed at the time we needed. We needed our pope. And so I know the Spirit will guide that process and the church will receive him with great joy and great love, as we always do."

The pope's death not only came as a shock to those attending the April 27 Mass, but for pilgrims who had come to pass through the Holy Door during the Jubilee year.

Father Andrea Filippucci, a priest of the Diocese of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, led a group of nearly 100 pilgrims from across three of the islands to Rome to participate in the Jubilee.

Like so many around the world, Father Filippucci -- who hails from Rome -- told CNS in a telephone interview April 26 that he and his group were in disbelief after the pope's death was announced.

"We just saw the pope giving a blessing for the "Urbi et Orbi," he said, referring to the pope's Easter Sunday blessing "to the city and to the world."

"He looked tired, but I think nobody could have expected that he would have passed so quickly. So, obviously, the first reaction was a bit of shock. Is it fake news? How is it possible?"

"I will confess, with Pope Francis' death, it was a moment where I was kind of confused; in the sense that I wasn't expecting it. And it honestly felt a little bit too coincidental at first," said 19-year-old Fayshia Donelly, one of the U.S. Virgin Island pilgrims. 

Another member of the group, Briah Ryan told CNS that despite the sadness of the pope's death, she was grateful for the chance to be "a part of this historic time" and that the pilgrimage has been a time to learn about the process of choosing a new pope which "is all very new to me."

"I find it to be an incredible experience and it's going to be something I'm going to remember the rest of my life," she said.

Father Filippucci told CNS the pilgrimage was a "time of prayer" for Pope Francis and "for the Holy Spirit to call the right man to lead the church during this time."

"Our pilgrimage was first based on hope, on passing through the Holy Doors, on getting an indulgence, and that was kind of the theme," the Italian priest said, adding that upon the pope's death, the theme switched to reflect on St. Peter and "the beautiful history God does" with him.

Peter was "not a superhero, but he's somebody who many times doubts and makes a mess, and yet God loves him. So, that's a great hope for us," Father Filippucci said.

"It gave us the opportunity to speak about St. Peter (not only) as the first bishop of the church, but also as an image for us Christians on this journey that God doesn't ask us to be perfect, but he asks us to lean on him and to trust in him," he said.

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Contributing to this story was Justin McLellan at the Vatican.
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Mercy -- the cornerstone of Pope Francis' teaching and ministry -- must guide the Catholic Church through its period of mourning and the uncertainty that lies ahead, the Vatican's second-ranking official said.

Celebrating Mass April 27 for the second day of the "novendiali" -- nine days of mourning for the late pope marked by Masses -- Cardinal Pietro Parolin, former Vatican secretary of state, told some 200,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Divine Mercy Sunday that Pope Francis had made the message of God's limitless mercy the heart of his pontificate.

"Our affection for him must not remain a mere emotion of the moment," Cardinal Parolin said. "We must welcome his legacy and make it part of our lives, opening ourselves to God’s mercy and also being merciful to one another."

Although the Mass was officially one of mourning, jubilant crowds of young people who traveled to Rome for the Jubilee of Teenagers April 25-27 filed into the square early Sunday morning while cheering, singing songs and breaking out in chant.

"With the death of the pope all of our plans changed, but the kids are excited to be here for this important moment, it's incredible for them," said Jesús Serrano, who was accompanying a group of 185 young people from the Archdiocese of Madrid.

Like so many teenagers in St. Peter's Square, the group from Spain thought they were traveling to Rome to attend the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis -- an Italian teen who was set to be declared the church's first millennial saint by Pope Francis.

Instead, they participated in the late pope's funeral Mass April 26 and returned to the Vatican the following day for his second memorial Mass. The brightly colored t-shirts, hats, flags and banners from each of the groups created a lively tapestry on the sun-soaked square.

Seated on stage in St. Peter's Square on either side of Cardinal Parolin were the cardinals gathered in Rome for Pope Francis' funeral and Vatican employees dressed in mourning attire.

In his homily, the cardinal recognized the bittersweet atmosphere in the square, telling the young people that their presence was a visible sign of Easter joy even amid the church’s grief, adding that Pope Francis "would have liked to meet you, to look into your eyes, and to pass among you to greet you."

The cardinal encouraged the teenagers to hold fast to the hope that comes from Christ, even as they confront the challenges of the modern world, including rapid technological change and the rise of artificial intelligence.

"Never forget to nourish your lives with the true hope that has the face of Jesus Christ," he said. "With him, you will never be alone or abandoned, not even in the worst of times."

Highlighting the day's liturgical celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday, Cardinal Parolin said it was fitting to remember Pope Francis, who had made mercy a hallmark of his pontificate.

"Pope Francis reminded us that 'mercy' is the very name of God, and, therefore, no one can put a limit on his merciful love with which he wants to raise us up and make us new people," he said.

The church, Cardinal Parolin noted, must continue to be a place where mercy heals wounds, fosters reconciliation and overcomes hatred and division. "Only mercy heals and creates a new world, putting out the fires of distrust, hatred and violence," he said. "This is the teaching of Pope Francis."

As the tomb of Pope Francis in the Basilica of St. Mary Major was opened to the public for the first time the morning of April 27, Cardinal Parolin recalled the late pope’s deep devotion to Mary, having chosen to be buried in the Marian basilica outside the Vatican, and entrusted the church to her care.

Standing alongside the icon of Mary that Pope Francis often visited in that basilica during his pontificate, the cardinal prayed that she would "protect us, intercede for us, watch over the church and support the journey of humanity in peace and fraternity."

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Reporting by CNS Rome is made possible by the Catholic Communication Campaign. Give to the CCC special collection in your diocese May 10-11 or any time at: https://bit.ly/CCC-give

As the Jubilee Year continues in Rome under a modified schedule due to Pope Francis' death, the Jubilee of Teenagers still took place on April 25-27, with tens of thousands of young people from around the world gathered in the Eternal City for the events.

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In mid-January, a month before his hospitalization, the late Pope Francis recorded a video message, reminding young people about the importance of listening while others are speaking.

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Cardinal Pietro Parolin celebrates Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday in suffrage for Pope Francis, and recalls that mercy offers Christians the golden thread that unites our lives to one another and to Christ.

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Vincent LeVien, his wife, Bridget, and their children, Sophia and Vincent Junior, were traveling to Rome for the canonization of Carlo Acutis, but found themselves instead remembering the late Pope, who they tell Vatican News, left a lasting imprint on the lives of countless people.

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