SAN ANTONIO – Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller of the Archdiocese of San Antonio has released a statement in response to the death of Pope Francis, calling for prayers for the late pontiff and reflecting on his impactful ministry.
“Let us pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis,” García-Siller said. “The faithful of the Church of San Antonio have prayed for him constantly, for his physical health as well as spiritual strength to sustain him in his Petrine Ministry.”
García-Siller and Auxiliary Bishop Michael Boulette from the Archdiocese of San Antonio discussed the impact of Pope Francis during a Monday afternoon news conference. The full briefing can be seen in the above video player.
Pope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff, died Monday. He was 88.
>> Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88
Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his 12-year papacy.
He made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday — a day before his death — to bless thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square, drawing wild cheers and applause. Beforehand, he met U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
The archbishop expressed gratitude for Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodal dialogues, which he noted continue both locally and at the Vatican. “We know this is the style God wants us to go; to listen to the Holy Spirit,” he stated. “It is our desire that the Spirit and Synodality light the flame of renewal in our evangelical outreach and unite ever more strongly His pilgrim Church on earth.”
García-Siller highlighted the late pope’s advocacy for migrants and his commitment to serving “all of God’s children.”
Read his full statement below:
Let us pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis. The faithful of the Church of San Antonio have prayed for him constantly; for his physical health and well as spiritual strength to sustain him in his Petrine Ministry.
We are eternally grateful to the Holy Father for his emphasis on Synodal dialogues, which continue locally as well as at the Vatican. We know this is the style God wants us to go; to listen to the Holy Spirit. It is our desire that the Spirit and Synodality light the flame of renewal in our evangelical outreach and unite ever more strongly His pilgrim Church on earth.
We were inspired by the Holy Father’s advocacy for migrants globally and of his commitment to provide services and minister to all of God’s children. He emphasized that in welcoming the stranger we are welcoming Christ (Matthew 25:35). He worked for the conversion of hearts and minds, to create a culture and practice of hospitality in receiving migrants.
The vicar of Christ meditated constantly on the parable of the Good Samaritan, which he had cited in his encyclical letter “Fratelli tutti,” calling us to remember the Scripture passage from Matthew 25:40: “And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
From St. Peter, the first pope, and the unbroken line of his successors, we are in unity. I invite the people of God and all people of goodwill to pray at this time for the holy Catholic Church.
I will soon remember in a special way Pope Francis at English and Spanish liturgies at San Fernando Cathedral, and information regarding these Masses for the Holy Father will be forthcoming.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May the soul of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
What to know about the death of Pope Francis
Here are the key things to know about the death of the Argentine pontiff, who presided over the Catholic Church for more than 12 years.
The timing of Pope Francis’ death
The death of Francis was announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Irish-born Vatican camerlengo, a position that will be important in the coming weeks as he takes charge of the administration of the Holy See until a new pope is elected.
Farrell made the announcement just over two hours after Francis had died. Farrell spoke from Domus Santa Marta, the apartment on Vatican grounds where Francis lived and where he had returned to recover less than a month after being hospitalized for double pneumonia.
A final farewell on Easter Sunday
Francis made his final public appearance a day earlier on Easter Sunday. He appeared very frail, and had delegated the celebration of the Easter Mass to another cardinal. But though his voice was weak, he blessed a crowd of faithful from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica.
“Brothers and sisters, Happy Easter,” he said from the same loggia where Jorge Mario Bergoglio was introduced to the world on March 13, 2013, as the 266th pope.
Francis also made a surprise ride in the square in his popemobile, drawing wild cheers and applause.
Beforehand, he met briefly with U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,” Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, said on Monday during a visit to India.
Reactions and global mourning
Even before the great bells of St. Peter’s Basilica began tolling to mark Francis’ death, messages of tribute began pouring in from across the world.
Catholic and non-Catholic leaders alike honored a spiritual leader who was a voice for the marginalized and the weak, for migrants and LGBTQ+ people, and for environmental protection.
He “cared about the great global challenges of our time — migration, climate change, inequalities, peace — as well as the everyday struggles of the one and all,” European Council President António Costa said.
The outgoing German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said that the world had lost “an advocate for the weak, a reconciling and a warm-hearted person.”
Other religious leaders also praised him for seeking dialogue. The head of the Church of England remembered him for his commitment to improving relations among the world’s religions, while Rome’s chief rabbi described Francis’ pontificate as an important new chapter in relations between Judaism and Catholicism.
The pope’s last months, and final day
Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, was admitted to Gemelli hospital in Rome on Feb. 14, 2025, for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalization of his papacy.
For the faithful, those were weeks of fear that his illness could be fatal or lead to another papal resignation after that of Pope Benedict XVI, a surprise move that led to the election of Francis.
The pontiff’s return to the Vatican on March 23 brought relief to many at the time.
Mourning, funeral and then a conclave
Francis’ death now sets off the process of allowing the faithful to pay their final respects, first for Vatican officials in the Santa Marta chapel and then in St. Peter’s for the general public.
A precise sequence of events will include the confirmation of death in the pontiff’s home, the transfer of the coffin to St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing, a funeral Mass and burial.
The dates haven’t been announced yet, but the burial must take place between the fourth and sixth day after his death.
After the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning, known as the “novendiali.”
During this period, cardinals arrive in Rome to participate in a conclave to elect the next pope.
To give everyone time to assemble, the conclave must begin 15-20 days after the “sede vacante” — the “vacant See” — is declared, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree.
The cardinals will vote in secret sessions, and after each voting session, the ballots will be burned in a special stove. Black smoke will indicate that no pope has been elected, while white smoke will indicate that the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.
His legacy
Even as Francis was being remembered as a humanitarian and defender of the weak, there were those who said he could have done better in other areas.
In recent years, he faced criticism for what seemed to be an unclear position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Francis tried to maintain the Vatican’s traditional diplomatic neutrality, but that often was accompanied by apparent sympathy with Russia’s rationale for invading Ukraine — like when he said NATO was “barking at Russia’s door” with its eastward expansion. And last year, he called on Ukraine to show the “courage” to negotiate peace, which seemed to suggest it should capitulate to Russian aggression.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a condolence message, praised Francis as a “consistent defender of the high values of humanism and justice.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said his country was grieving and recalled how the pope often prayed for peace in Ukraine.
Francis also had critics who argued that he failed to bring justice to victims of clergy sex abuse or to bring the needed reforms to the church.
“In this realm, where Francis had supreme power, he refused to make the necessary changes. This choice is having devastating consequences for the Church’s most powerless members. It will forever tarnish the legacy of this remarkable man,” said Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, a United States-based watchdog.
The Women’s Ordination Conference also lamented Francis’ unwillingness to push for the ordination of women. “This made him a complicated, frustrating and sometimes heart-breaking figure for many women,” it said.