Southern Californians honor Pope Francis with memorial Mass at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Catholics in Southern California are paying their respects to Pope Francis.
On Friday afternoon, a memorial Mass was held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. People from different parishes and different faiths made their way to downtown Los Angeles to gather and offer their prayers for Pope Francis.
Outside of the cathedral, a mourning drape flowed in the wind; inside, there was a picture of a waving and smiling Pope Francis, facing the many who attended the memorial Mass for the late pontiff.
"I am very overwhelmed with people who really loved Pope Francis. I really love him because of his humility," said Jorge Umali from Glendale.
Archbishop José Gomez led the Mass, joined by auxiliary bishops and clergy from the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
"Pope Francis has been urging us to recover our common humanity. He taught us that we are responsible for one another," Gomez said at the Mass.
Francis is credited with building bridges across borders and faiths. Members of the Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE) say his ministry aligns with their values.
"Caring for the workers, caring for the immigrants, caring for the vulnerable, being a voice for the voiceless," said Ali Tweomo, the co-chair for CLUE.
"Especially at this moment, when you see such evil and inhumanity coming from the new administration against the immigrant community. We're going to miss that voice, but I hope that we can continue to have that light in us," said Guillermo Torres with CLUE.
Lines Briones from Glendale recalled Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines despite a storm, a year after a typhoon killed 7,000.
"No matter how hard it was for him, he was really there for the poor people and those who were affected by the typhoon. So it really left a great impact on me, it was very inspiring," Briones said.
Saturday marks the beginning of nine consecutive days of mourning and prayer. At the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, beginning Sunday, there will be special prayers for Pope Francis before every mass.
Francis, the former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the first Latin American pontiff, died Monday in the Vatican at age 88 -- one day after Easter.
He served as pope for 12 years. The Vatican reported the cause of death as a stroke and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.
Francis had been diagnosed with chronic lung disease and admitted to a hospital on Feb. 14 for a respiratory episode that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days in the hospital and made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday -- blessing the faithful in St. Peter's Square while sitting in a wheelchair.
The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio became pope on March 13, 2013, succeeding Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis' election.
The L.A. archdiocese has created a special webpage dedicated to Francis. It includes Gomez's statement, homily, and other writings on Francis, as well as videos, images, and other resources.
The archdiocese said the page will be updated with information on Masses and other events during the Novendiales, the nine days of mourning for a deceased pope.
During that period, funeral rites are celebrated daily in Rome by the cardinals, and Masses are offered throughout the world for the repose of the departed pope's soul.
The Catholic Church's College of Cardinals will meet at the Vatican in the coming weeks to elect Francis' successor.
Pope Francis' funeral
Nearly all of the funeral plans are being kept secret, but we do know that Cardinal Roger Mahony -- the retired Archbishop of Los Angeles -- will play a special part in the service on Saturday.
Mahony led the Archdiocese of L.A. for more than 15 years.
In a special one-on-one interview, he sat down with ABC7's David Ono in Rome to talk about Pope Francis' legacy and how he will contribute to the service.
City News Service contributed to this report.
