SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The faithful community in our area is joining those around the world, mourning the loss of Pope Francis.
At St. Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton, a special memorial mass will be held for Pope Francis at 12:10 p.m.
Purple bunting hangs on the cathedral, it’s one of many tributes the church has taken to pay its respects to the late pope.
Vatican announces Pope Francis’ funeral will be held Saturday
Ahead of the mass happening, Diocese of Scranton’s Bishop Joseph Bambera spoke on Pope Francis’ legacy, offering prayers for his resting soul, but also expressed his gratitude for the impact he made around the world.
Reflecting on his own interactions with the late pontiff, Bishop Bambera says that in one of those meetings, he and other Pennsylvania bishops spoke with the pope for hours, stating that he was an extremely down-to-earth and gentle man, with great resolve in terms of communicating the mission he was given.
The bishop was speaking inside the cathedral, where a memorial space sits on display for the faithful to pray for the late pope.
Dr. Jack O'Malley, a member of the faithful community that attended morning mass on Tuesday, says he's embracing what the world learned from the late pope's leadership, such as how he was often referred to as ‘the people’s pope.’
“Humility was his middle name. Jesus taught us to think about other people first, and that’s who (the pope) was. Grassroots, taking care of others. He even took the name Francis in dedication to St. Francis, who was himself very dedicated to poor people.”
The memorial mass is taking place at Saint Peter’s Cathedral in Scranton at 12:10 p.m. on Tuesday and is open to the public.
