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In 2015 Father Florante Marcelo concelebrated with Pope Francis in delivering Mass with an estimated 6 to 7 million people gathered in an open-air park in Manila, Philippines.
Marcelo reflected on the pope’s commitment to the marginalized, including his practice of washing the feet of prisoners during a Monday Mass at Our Lady of the Mountains held one week after the death of Pope Francis.
He remembers Francis for his humility, compassion, and especially his humor.
“‘In our families, sometimes plates fly,’” Marcelo remembered Francis telling the largest papal gathering in history, “and people started laughing because they can associate with that, ‘and children sometimes have headaches. I don’t have to talk about mother-in-laws.’” That, Marcelo added, garnered “the biggest laugh ever.”
From such a high place, Francis could connect with ordinary people, Marcelo said.
“He said sometimes we need to sprinkle [in] some jokes,” Marcelo recalled, laughing. “Because life is just so hard.”
Mary Kay Turner, a Jackson parishioner since 1969 and advocate for peace in the Holy Land, remembered Pope Francis for his unwavering concern for vulnerable communities. She cited his daily phone calls to the Catholic parish in Gaza, which began shortly after the war between Israel and Hamas escalated in October 2023. The calls continued until just two days before his death on April 21, 2025.
“His heart reached out to people that we least expect to be remembered,” Turner said. “But he always remembered them.”
Turner has spent decades working to foster reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinian Christians. For her, Pope Francis’ quiet dedication to the Holy Family Church in Gaza served as a powerful example of what it means to be a shepherd.
“I loved this pope,” she said. “He cared about every part of his flock, especially in the Holy Land.”
Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died in Vatican City at the age of 88 after a prolonged illness. His funeral, held April 26 in Rome, drew world leaders and mourners from across the globe.
As Catholics around the world grieve, attention now turns to the upcoming conclave, set to begin May 7 in the Sistine Chapel. There, cardinal electors will gather in seclusion to elect the next pope.
