At a Mass in Syracuse Monday, Bishop Douglas Lucia of the Syracuse Catholic Diocese asked for prayer in the wake of Pope Francis’ death.
“We mourn the passing of our beloved Holy Father, and we just ask the Lord now to be good to him. He was very good to us,” Lucia said.
Lucia said he found out about the pope’s death Monday morning, and immediately knew it would be a “different kind of day.”
"We knew he was frail. We knew he was sickly. But still, there's deep sadness today for the Church," he said Monday.
Lucia thanked the workers who quickly put together a noon Mass on Easter Monday in honor of the pontiff, and urged members of the Catholic community to come together in their sadness.
He spoke of the pope’s final Easter Sunday message, that those struggling with fear, uncertainty, or worry on Easter would be able to find hope in the promise of God.
“Ask Him for the grace to experience more fully the deep down joy of Easter that He so deeply desires for you, and while doing so, let us together pray that Pope Francis now rejoices with the risen Christ,” Lucia told parishioners.
Lucia said the church will now enter into nine days of mourning, and as the details of the pope’s funeral are announced, he expects additional masses to be held locally.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse also released a statement after the pope's death.
