Area Catholic leaders react to death of ‘beloved, controversial’ Pope Francis 

Father Jordan Bradshaw, pastor of St. Thomas More Newman Center at the University of Oregon, was up late Easter Sunday, relaxing after a busy Holy Week and reading on his Kindle. It was about 11:30 p.m. when he first saw a news alert pop up about the death of Pope Francis. 

The pope, who was 88, had been hospitalized for more than a month recently with pneumonia. He recovered enough to return to the Vatican and make Easter appearances, including blessing crowds Sunday in St. Peter’s Square from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

He died the next day, at 7:35 a.m. in Rome. The Vatican said he suffered a stroke. Most Lane County residents did not learn of Francis’ death until they woke up Monday morning. 

Lorri Perreault, executive director of Catholic Community Services of Lane County, counted herself as a Pope Francis “fan” and said his death came as a surprise. 

“We all saw reports and news of him on Easter yesterday,” she said. “It was amazing his health crises and to see him rebound, and then the impression that he was doing so much better. He was out and about on Easter. And to wake up with that news, it was shocking.”

She said Francis “challenged our world by his message and how he lived so humbly.” 

Father Jordan spoke to Lookout Eugene-Springfield about the legacy of Francis, who was elected pope in March 2013. 

“It was a short pontificate, relatively, but he had done so much and in such a short time, he was one of those people that was beloved,” Father Jordan said, inside the rectory. “But also too, I think who was also controversial. Very beloved, but at the same time, could cause a reaction in the other direction.” 

Father Jordan met the pope a few years ago on a trip to Rome to celebrate an anniversary of the Vatican museum. 

The assembled audience of about 200 was given instructions: Do not kiss his ring. 

His charisma stood out to Father Jordan.

“The thing that strikes you is a smile,” he said. “I don’t know if it was because I was religious or whatever, [wearing] my habit, I just remembered a smile. It was a very special moment.” 

Father Thomas Aquinas Pickett, priest at the Catholic church and conference center in McKenzie Bridge, was visiting the priests at St. Thomas More following Easter services. In the kitchen of the rectory, he recalled being within about 10 yards or so of Pope Francis in 2015 when he was in Washington, D.C., for the canonization of Junipero Serra. 

When Francis entered the basilica, there was an audible stir from the back of the sanctuary where the nuns and priests gathered, almost as if a rock star had come in. 

Father Thomas Aquinas said he had “immense respect” for Pope Francis. 

“First of all, just for his office, for the job that he has, but then also just immense respect for the amount of personal effort, you could clearly see he was putting into it. He wasn’t just kind of sitting back and letting things happen, he was taking a very active role in this office.” 

Pope Francis also spoke with a frankness that Father Thomas Aquinas appreciated. 

“Sometimes that is exactly what you need to hear, like, ‘You need to be holy’ or ‘Don’t sin,’” he said. “I think he spoke his mind.”

Archbishop Alexander Sample of the Archdiocese of Portland, which includes all of Lane County, issued a statement, that read, in part: 

“It is with profound sorrow that I join with the universal Church in mourning the passing of our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis. Today, we remember and honor the life of a shepherd who devoted himself entirely to the service of Christ and His Church, a man of deep faith, compassion, and unwavering commitment to the Gospel.

“Pope Francis’ ministry was marked by his pastoral heart and his call for all of us to reach out to the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable. He inspired us to embrace mercy, to walk in humility, and to live as true disciples of Jesus Christ.” 

Terry McDonald, emeritus director of St. Vincent de Paul of Lane County, was an admirer.

“Francis was truly an outstanding figure in that he spoke so eloquently to the various things that anybody of conscience can look at and say, ‘We should say something,’” he said. “But it’s not necessarily easy to do, even as pope, and he did get a lot of pushback.” 

What McDonald admired most was the way he spoke out on behalf of the poor, which is what St. Vincent de Paul as an organization has tried to do. 

McDonald also cited Pope Francis’ stewardship of the environment. 

“He very much said that we are ruining the mother that nurtured us, and that’s against Catholic teachings,” McDonald said. “Well, that’s not a pleasant thing to say in a time when people are wanting to continue to use burn fossil fuels and pollute, and yet, he was very articulate about saying that. It didn’t make him very popular.” 

McDonald thinks the next pope will likely not share the same priorities as Francis. 

“The American church was not particularly interested in what he had to say, and the majority of the clergy in this diocese as others were not supportive of his of his efforts,” McDonald said, “and so I anticipate that we’re going to have a reaction [with a new] pope that is far more conservative and less of the people that Francis was.”