Bishop Zubik, Pittsburgh area Catholics mourn passing of Pope Francis

PITTSBURGH — Just one day after celebrating Easter Sunday, Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, passed away at 88.

Many Catholic parishioners in the Pittsburgh region said they were stunned when they woke up to the news.

Photos: Pope Francis through the years

“I was shocked this morning because I had just seen him on TV last night for the Easter, and it just floored me,” said Elaine Bukovan of Millvale. “I didn’t realize that, I knew he was sick but I didn’t realize how sick.”

It also came as a surprise to Bishop David Zubik of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese.

“Pope Francis was our Father. He was the Pope, Pastor of the world, but in many ways, he was our Father,” Zubik said.

Zubik met with Pope Francis several times over the years. He recalled a meeting on Thanksgiving Day in 2019.

“From the moment we walked into a very stately room in the Vatican, it was very comfortable,” he said. “The Pope made us feel very welcome. What happened then was not a surprise to me, because everything I’ve seen about him personally is one-on-one. He had a beautiful way of respecting every single individual, and he had a natural gift of making people feel they were very important.”

He also received a letter signed by the Pope congratulating him on 25 years of being a Bishop in 2022.

“It’s that kind of personalism that you’d say, why in the world would the pope, busy as he is, think about doing something like that?” Zubik said. “That’s a very important treasure for me.”

Zubik has been a Bishop under three Popes — Pope John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. He said each one had a different gift they gave to the catholic church and world.

“Pope John Paul II, who was Pope for 27 years, he was the philosopher. Pope Benedict was the theologian. Pope Francis was clearly a pastor. He was a very intelligent man,” Zubik said.

Zubik wants to focus on praying for Pope Francis in the coming days before a new Pope is elected.

Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek asked him what he believes Pope Francis will be remembered for the most.

“One word. Mercy,” Zubik said. “Every time he talked, he spoke about mercy. “You know that that’s exactly the relationship that god has for us, that no matter how many times we may have messed up for our lives, God’s always open to giving us a fresh new start.”

Zubik will be holding a mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Oakland for Pope Francis on Monday at 7 p.m. Additional memorial opportunities will be shared in the coming days at www.diopitt.org.

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