‘Pope of the people’ remembered in Las Vegas Mass
After being raised Catholic, Jim Fitzgerald of Henderson said he fell away from the church as he progressed into his adult years.
Now in his 50s, Fitzgerald said he has felt a pull back to the church in recent years, partly because of the tenure of Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88.
Fitzgerald was among those who attended a memorial Mass dedicated to Francis on Friday at Guardian Angel Cathedral, at 336 Cathedral Way, near the Strip.
“I do feel a pull to live a better life, especially with what’s been going on in the world lately,” Fitzgerald said after the Mass. “I feel like Pope Francis has been a part of that. I feel like he was really a symbol of something good. He had the core fundamentals of the church, but he was trying to bring people together, too.”
From the pulpit, the Most Rev. George Leo Thomas, archbishop of Las Vegas, called Francis a “pope of the people” and praised his inclusive messaging.
Thomas highlighted Francis’ concern for the poor in many of his talks and writings. He singled out several of the pope’s writings, including one where the pontiff said he preferred “a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from clinging to its own security.”
After the Mass, while fielding questions from reporters, Thomas recalled the first time he met Francis in person. Once he found out Thomas was from Las Vegas, the pope, Thomas said, made a gesture with his hands like he was dealing playing cards.
“The last time I saw him in person in Rome, about a year and a half ago, he made a sound like a roulette wheel makes,” Thomas said with a laugh. “He always associated me with the community here in Las Vegas. He had a great sense of humor and saw laughter as medicine.”
After filing out of the church with his wife, Julio Melendez, 53, of Las Vegas, said there are three causes that he will particularly remember when it comes to Francis’ papacy.
“He left a big legacy on peace and a big legacy on charity,” Melendez said. “He was also big on fighting poverty. I think those are the biggest things that he worked on. It was an honor to be here.”
Thomas said Francis — born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina in 1936 — will be remembered for his humility.
“He related so easily and so well with ordinary people,” Thomas said. “He will also be remembered for his simplicity. He broke a lot of protocols at the Vatican. He had a common touch.”
Francis’ funeral was set for 10 a.m. local time Saturday at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, or 1 a.m. in Las Vegas. World leaders and dignitaries including President Donald Trump, former President Joe Biden, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were expected to attend, according to The Associated Press.
After Friday’s Mass in Las Vegas, Fitzgerald was reflective as he talked about the pontiff, who began his papacy in 2013.
In an often tense world, Fitzgerald said he hopes to be more of a force for bringing people together.
Francis, Fitzgerald said, was great at that.
“I do feel like I need to be better at bringing people together,” Fitzgerald said. “I think we all need to be better at that right now and Francis helped show us how.”
Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.