Across the U.S., rank-and-file Roman Catholics are reacting to Pope Francis' passing. In Port Henry, a small rural town in upstate New York, Tom Scozzafava described this as a sad moment and also a pivotal time for the church.
"This pope was certainly different," said Scozzafava, who works as an electrician. He described himself as a conservative, but said he still welcomed the pope's ideas about immigration and inclusiveness.
"I think he is going to be missed. He brought about a lot of changes and most of those changes are good."
Scozzafava, 68, noted that he sees mostly older people in church, even in this heavily Roman Catholic area. He said Pope Francis tried to send a welcoming message.
"To get people back into the church, this pope opened the door. It's a different world today, especially the younger people, this pope could see that."
Scozzafava said he worries the next pontiff could swing the church in a different direction that could lead to more young people opting out of the church. "It'll be interesting to see the politics in regard to his replacement," Scozzafava said.
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