SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – In New Mexico, where Catholicism has deep roots, local leaders and parishioners are remembering the impact Pope Francis had on the church over more than a decade.“All popes have a variety of gifts, but I think Francis really emphasized the importance of mercy. That God is a God of love. A merciful God. That the church is a place of mercy,” said Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester.
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It’s a sentiment among many that Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, stood out for his personality and teachings. Leading the Roman Catholic Church for more than a decade, Pope Francis was someone that Wester said he personally met many times. “I learned the importance of listening. The pope once said that all bishops are teachers, but a good teacher listens first. So, I learned how important it is to listen,” said Wester.
Wester added that New Mexicans related to Pope Francis, who was from Argentina and the first pope born or raised outside of Europe in centuries. “He really was a remarkable figure for New Mexicans because I think New Mexicans can identify him more easily, Spanish being his first language,” said Wester.
Some spent Monday remembering the pope at Mass in Albuquerque. “He taught me a lot about charity, about equality. He did things with the church that were new,” said Gilbert Zamora y Archuleta, who attended a mass in Albuquerque on Monday.
Archbishop Wester said Francis spoke a lot about forgiveness and mercy. “We live in a highly polarized world, polarized church, and polarized country. I think the pope’s contribution was unity for people to come together and to forgive one another,” said Wester.
Some Albuquerque churches are setting up masses over the coming days in honor of the pope, including the Saint Therese Catholic School and Saint Pius. Archbishop Wester will hold a memorial mass in Pope Francis’ honor Monday night at the Cathedral Basilica in Santa Fe, starting at 6 p.m.