Bishop Patrick Neary released the following statement on the death of Pope Francis:
April 21, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
It is with deep sadness that I received the news about the passing of Pope Francis. I was serving in Kampala, Uganda, when he was elected, and I was privileged to attend a talk he gave in Rubaga Cathedral when he visited Uganda in 2015.
To me Pope Francis was a light shining in the darkness, a friend of the poor and a prophet of God’s mercy and justice. He envisioned the Church to be a field hospital that would meet human beings precisely where they are, just as Christ did. He called us to be better stewards of the earth. By introducing the synod on synodality, he reminded us of the need to lovingly encounter, listen, and discern together God’s will for the Church.
On a personal note, I was so honored to meet him as a new bishop in September 2023 and felt not only his holiness but his humanness. He was just one of us. May he now rest from his labors, for his good deeds go with him!
Yours in Christ,
+Patrick M. Neary, C.S.C.
Bishop, Diocese of Saint Cloud