Faithful in state mourn the passing of Pope Francis

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack/Berhampur: The Catholic community in Odisha, along with the world, is in mourning following the demise of Pope Francis on Monday. He was 88.Special prayers and condolence meetings are being planned in the state to honour his legacy.Governor Hari Babu Kumbhampati, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and leader of opposition Naveen Patnaik, among others, expressed their condolences. "Deeply saddened by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, who will always be remembered for his compassion and humility. As the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, he inspired millions across the world with his message of unity and love. My heartfelt condolences to the global Catholic community," Majhi wrote on X.Naveen wrote in his X post, "His (Pope Francis') Papacy was exemplified by compassion, humility, and promotion of interfaith dialogue. May his soul rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers are with his millions of fans and followers." Naveen met Pope Francis during his visit to Rome in June 2022 and presented him with a pattachitra painting.Archbishop John Barwa, who heads the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, remembered Pope Francis as a man of profound humility and compassion. Barwa, who spent three weeks at the Vatican during the World Archbishop's Synod in Oct 2018, had multiple personal interactions with the Pope. "He was a very simple man. Even after being elected Pope, he refused to move into the papal palace and chose to live in the guesthouse. That itself spoke volumes about his character," Barwa said.Barwa said Pope Francis was always eager to know about Odisha and appreciated the development and serenity of the state. "His heart beat for the poor and the marginalised. "Never tire of bringing Christ's love to every corner of the world," said Barwa quoting Pope Francis. "His loss is not just for Catholics, but for humanity at large," he added.Churches across southern Odisha, including Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts, also expressed sorrow at the Pope's passing. Bishop Sarat Chandra Nayak of Berhampur Diocese, which covers Ganjam and Gajapati, recalled his meeting with the Pope in 2019 during the ‘ad limina' — a formal visit where bishops from around the world meet the Pope and Vatican officials. "Though the meeting was brief, I was thrilled to meet him twice. He was very simple and always preached mercy for the poor, widows and the migrants. He considered all of humanity as one family," Nayak said.In Phulbani, Father Pradeep Kumar Behera, a senior priest and school principal, said the Catholic community was devastated. "He stood for the needy, orphans and widows — a Pope of mercy indeed," Behera said. He added that the church will soon organise a special prayer meeting, with the date to be finalised in consultation with church leaders.Catholics are also planning interfaith condolence meetings to commemorate the Pope's universal appeal and message of peace, inclusivity and compassion. "Special prayer services in memory of Pope Francis are being scheduled across churches in Odisha, while details of his funeral are awaited from the Vatican," said Father Ajay Sabhasundar, parish priest of St Vincent's Pro-Cathedral Catholic Church in Bhubaneswar.Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, became the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013.