Eastside leaders are mourning the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff and the first Jesuit pope.
Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, died of a stroke and heart failure Monday at the age of 88, Vatican officials announced.
Elected in 2013, after the the unexpected resignation of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, Francis made history with his appointment. During his papacy, he voiced support for immigrants and other marginalized groups, gaining admiration from some and drawing critique from others.
Tributes poured in Monday from clergy and community leaders from across the Eastside.
Raquel Roman, executive director of Proyecto Pastoral
Raquel Roman, the executive director of Proyecto Pastoral, a Boyle Heights-based nonprofit focused on homelessness and community empowerment, considered Francis’ death a loss for advocates of women, immigrants and liberation theology.
“It’s heartbreaking. And given the current political state, it’s devastating… I hope that his teachings, his work, his legacy, inspire the next choice of pope,” Roman said.
Roman recalled the joy that swept Dolores Mission Church, a Jesuit parish in Boyle Heights, when Francis was first elected.
“We had really high hopes, and I think he fulfilled all of that,” Roman added. “To me, he was just making history how he was working within the church, and he was so humble. And I think he was just a great example to all of us regarding his humility and his love and just who he was as a person… There’s been a lot of great teachers for all of us in this work. And I think he’s one of them.”
Father Brendan Busse, pastor at Dolores Mission Church
To Father Brendan Busse, pastor at Dolores Mission Church, Pope Francis was “an affirmation that there can be a place, even in this church, for people like me or people who don’t feel themselves welcome.”
Busse became a Jesuit in 2008 and then a priest in 2017. A graduate of Loyola Marymount, he volunteered at Central Juvenile Hall, where he witnessed Dolores Mission — a Jesuit church — holding Mass.
“[I] saw what a credible church actually looked like,” Busse said. Francis, Busse said, was a reminder that “we’re not just out here on the outskirts or on the margins.”
“We’re really at the heart of what the church is supposed to be,” he said.
Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries
Father Gregory Boyle, a former Jesuit priest and the founder of Homeboy Industries— a gang-intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program founded in Boyle Heights— mourned the loss of Francis on social media.
“Before he left us, his last public words touch on what Homeboy Industries is about — a lament, a challenge, and ended with an invitation,” Boyle wrote in a social media post.
Quoting Francis: “How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized and migrants! On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas.”
Richard Zaldivar, founder and executive director of The Wall Las Memorias
Richard Zaldivar, founder and executive director of The Wall Las Memorias, a nonprofit promoting health and wellness in LGBTQ+ communities, called Francis “a father for all people.”
“At a time when our country and our world is torn apart through chaos, he has been the stabilizer. He has been the father for the globe, respected by all faiths, respected by young and old. And we lost a great leader,” Zaldivar lamented.
He recalled the pope’s comments on LGBTQ+ people and migrants as powerful moments of inclusion.
“He said, ‘Who am I to judge?’ when asked about blessing LGBT couples. And he reminded people, including the vice president, that it was Jesus who welcomed refugees into the lands, and those were Jesus’s teachings,” Zaldivar said. “It’s a great loss, and I think he has given us so much already that I hope and I pray that we will that is successor will follow in his footsteps and enhance what Francis’ vision was all about.”
Hilda Solis, L.A. County supervisor
“I join millions across Los Angeles County and around the globe in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. As the first pope from Latin America, he brought a fresh and deeply human perspective to the Catholic Church and to the world. He challenged us to confront poverty, care for our planet, and uplift the dignity of women in the Church and beyond,” Solis wrote in a statement.
“His words and actions resonated far beyond the walls of any one faith. I was honored to see him at the U.S. Capitol and White House, where his humility, moral clarity, and deep compassion were on full display. He was a spiritual leader for Catholics—and a moral voice for humanity. May his kindness and light continue to guide us all. ¡Que viva el Papa!”