Catholic, Protestant, Muslim and Jewish faith leaders in the north suburbs offered reflections Monday after learning of Pope Francis’ death earlier in the day.
Rev. Jerry Boland of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Glenview recalled Pope Francis’ focus on social justice and on preventing climate change. He called the pope’s encyclical, or paper, Laudato Si (Praise Be), calling people to take care of the earth “one of the great papal teachings of my lifetime.”
“Once the pope said, ‘I accept the science,’ (of climate change), then we were able to move forward,” Boland said.
“In terms of social justice, his heart was always with the powerless and the marginalized,” Boland said. “When he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires, he spent most of his time in the slums of that city. He wanted to be very close to the very poor.”
Bishop Tim O’Malley said Pope Francis’ “legacy was listening to others. He’s invited people to sit at tables; people from different walks of life, different ages, and that’s very important to me.” O’Malley is the vicar of Vicariate 1, a geographic area of the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago that includes the north suburbs and Lake County.
Protestant, Muslim, Jewish reactions
Reverend Michael Nabors of the Second Baptist Church in Evanston, which has a largely African-American congregation, spoke about Francis’ influence outside of the Catholic church.
“I think that the excitement was (when Francis was elected) that the Roman Catholic Church was going to get somebody who was really going to focus on social justice issues, and I think he lived up to that by dealing with so many different marginalized groups, including people of color and women and the LGBTQ community as well,” Nabors said.
“I know that maybe some of those communities will probably say that he didn’t go far enough. But I would also counter that he went further than any of the folks who preceded him,” he added.
Sa’ad Quadri, one of four imams and religious director of the Muslim Community Center in Morton Grove, said, “Anytime there’s someone who is connected to the divine (and) was a person of God or person of religion — whether or not we believe in the same religion — it provides a necessary moral compass to the world…we will always miss anyone who is trying to bring people towards God and towards a life being morally upright.”
He said he viewed Francis as an advocate for human rights, and for Palestinian rights in his opposition to the war in Gaza. Francis’ legacy, he said, is “connected to his willingness to support and speak out on behalf of the Palestinians who have been suffering so greatly.”
Quadri called Francis courageous for making practical changes and being more inclusive of people and then standing up to criticism.
Rabbi Zvi Engel of the Jewish congregation Or Torah in Skokie said, “Pope Francis was a steadfast voice against hatred, condemning antisemitism as a sin against God and embodying the principles of Nostra Aetate, a landmark document from the Second Vatican Council that promoted interfaith respect, whose 60th anniversary is this October.
“His compassionate meeting with families of Israeli hostages last year highlighted his commitment to peace, a tragic reminder that the war in Gaza could end tomorrow if Hamas would release the remaining 59 hostages they took when they attacked Israel in October 2023. As we reflect on the legacy of Pope Francis, we honor his dedication to fostering understanding and a more compassionate world.”
Northwestern University Religious Studies Professor and Grace Craddock Nagle Chair in Catholic Studies Robert Orsi released a statement on Francis’ life.
“It was clear from the moment he chose the name Francis that Jorge Bergoglio was intent on repairing a church broken by sexual and financial scandals. He set about this task with a unique combination of strength, vision and humility.”
“Like his namesake, Pope Francis’ love for the living planet was profound. He defended the dignity of migrants against a rising tide of far-right nationalism. He treated all people with understanding and compassion, refusing to exclude anyone from divine love. Catholics are grieving today, but by holding on until Easter Monday, Pope Francis leaves a message of courage, steadfastness and hope for the times ahead.”
The next pope
Boland said Francis’ legacy will likely linger in the next pope. Francis appointed the majority of cardinals who will choose the next pope, and he often picked cardinals who shared his views, according to the Associated Press.
“I think he resented elitism in the church, and I think it’s going to be a very significant contribution to the future of the church. I can’t see us going backwards; being less people-centered or less concerned about the well being of others,” Boland said.
“I hope and pray (the next pope) will build on the reforms that Pope Francis has initiated, making the Vatican bureaucracy much more transparent,” Boland said. “I hope he’ll build on Francis’ idea that the church is living in the world, and so we have to be well versed on what’s happening.”
O’Malley said he hopes the next pope can also have similar traits to Francis when it comes to his gift of prayer, spirituality, concern and dialogue.
Nabors expressed that he hoped that the next pope could push the envelope even further when it comes to social and cultural issues.
“I know that we’re dealing with 2,000 years of tradition, but I would hope that the next pope would push even further the role of women in the Roman Catholic Church, not just potentially becoming deacons, but eventually becoming priests as well,” Nabors said.
“My hope would also be that the Roman Catholic Church would find ways to become open and affirming for the LGBTQ community in ways that maybe individuals in the Roman Catholic churches (already) are,” he added.
“And I hope that the next pope will find a way to help leaders of every religion and people of goodwill to gather together on a regular basis and have some sort of world interfaith dialogue,” Nabors said, adding that he hoped that immigration could be on the top of the list.
