By Marisa Young | Reporter
Baylor’s Catholic community is joining the world in remembering Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88. His papacy lasted almost 12 years, during which his leadership by example impacted countless Catholics around the world.
“I was in the eighth grade when he was announced,” Director of Campus Ministry John Maxwell said. “I remember taking the day off of school with my mother to wait and see if the smoke was black or white coming out of the Sistine Chapel.”
Maxwell said that while this is a season of mourning for the Catholic community, it can dually function as a season of remembrance and gratitude for the dedication Pope Francis showed the church.
“Even the day before [his death], he had been celebrating mass and serving and talking to people,” Maxwell said. “I mean, even to the end, he was serving, and I think that is something to be grateful for and something we should all strive for.”
Even in the midst of remembering, the community must also look forward to the near future of the church and the election of a new pope. Baton Rouge, La. sophomore Ayden Menesses said there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the upcoming election.
“It does bring me a little bit of anxiety, knowing that the next election is very, very near,” Menesses said. “There are a lot of questions as to what it’s gonna mean for the progression of the Catholic Church.”
According to Menesses, the pope can have a huge impact on members of the church worldwide due to his vast authority over church policy. During his papacy, Francis tended to stray from traditionalism, eliciting mixed reactions from the community.
“For Francis, there were a lot of people who joined Catholicism because of him, and then there were also a lot of people who started to shake in their faith because of him,” Menesses said. “I think it’ll be really interesting to see how the cardinals choose to redirect the church’s leadership.”
In the aftermath of any papacy, Menesses said she sees value in time spent on internal reflection.
“I think a lot of times when a pope’s term comes to a close, it is a time to reflect on how their leadership has impacted your own faith,” Menesses said. “For me personally, Pope John Paul II, he did a lot of really good work … Being in Catholic school, I grew up under his curriculum and learned a lot about what he did for the Catholic Church and how he devoted his life to it.”
In response to this time of mourning Pope Francis, Maxwell would encourage the Catholic community, and Christians broadly, to uphold each other with prayer.
“Prayer should be the first thing,” Maxwell said. “Prayer for his repose, prayer for the church, prayer for the future pope.”
