Mount Saint Mary College and Bishop Dunn Memorial School celebrate the life of Pope Francis at a Mass celebrated by Fr. Fr. Gregoire Fluet, vice president for Mission and Ministry at the Mount.
The Mount Saint Mary College community, including students and faculty from Bishop Dunn Memorial School, recently honored the life and legacy of Pope Francis with a special Mass.
Pope Francis passed away on Monday, April 21, the day after Easter. He had served as the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 2013.
At the special Mass, students, faculty, and staff of the Mount and Bishop Dunn spoke of Pope Francis and his impact of their lives and faith, including Mount President Dr. Robert Gervasi. The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Gregoire Fluet, vice president for Mission and Ministry at the Mount.
“It’s always sad to see the passing of a pope, but it’s also combined with excitement and anxiety about what is next,” said Dr. Robert Miller, associate professor of Theology and Religious Studies. “One wonders what the Holy Spirit has in mind for the next stage of the church.”
Since Pope Francis opened the door for women in leadership positions within the Catholic Church – while maintaining that priests and deacons will remain male roles – Miller notes that it might be some time before Pope Francis’s legacy is fully realized.
“Francis’s approach was certainly different from his two predecessors, John Paul II and Benedict XVI,” Miller explained. “Francis, while not an intellectual lightweight, had more of a pastoral approach to leading the church. He was always looking for ways to minister to those on the periphery, looking for ways to bring people into the church. His predecessors did as well, but the lines were much clearer. Francis placed women in offices and leadership roles previously only occupied by men.”
For example, Sr. Raffaella Petrini was installed as the President of the Pontifical Commission of the Vatican City State; Sr. Simona Brambilla was appointed as head of the dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life; and Barbara Jatta was named the first laywoman to head the Vatican Museum.
While it’s uncertain who will become the next pope, one thing is for sure: Miller noted that Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI were the last two popes who were present at the Second Vatican Council, which took place from 1962 to 1965. Vatican II introduced key changes to the Catholic Church that persist to the current day.
John Paul II was a bishop and Benedict was a theologian at the council. Pope Francis was ordained a priest in 1969, and thus was not at the proceedings.
“As we get further and further from the council, we will continue to have more popes who were not present at the council and may not have even been born yet,” said Miller. “It will be interesting to see how will they interpret the meaning of the council.”