BRAZOS COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — TAMU students reflect on the life and service of Pope Francis — The leader of the worldwide catholic church.
- Pope Francis drew his final breath on Monday at the age of 88 due to a stroke.
- To some neighbors, Pope Francis's passing leaves a path of leadership and inspiration.
- Other neighbors believe this unfortunate event inspires thankfulness and a focus on praying for the catholic church's next chapter.
- Following Pope Francis's passing and a period of mourning, the cardinals under the age of 80 will gather to elect the new leader of the catholic church. This process typically takes between two to three weeks.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The guiding voice of Pope Francis, leader of the worldwide catholic church for more than a decade, has fallen silent..
15 ABC asked Catharine Erwin what her reaction was after finding out about the passing of Pope Francis.
"At first, I was like just kind of shocked because we had heard that he was doing better."
Pope Francis drew his final breath on Monday at the age of 88 due to a stroke.
"I think kind of beautiful that he got to pass right after Easter, celebrating the lord's resurrection from the dead," Texas A&M University (TAMU) student Drew Curlin said.
"He got to be with us during Easter, but now we get to pray for him during this beautiful season," Erwin said.
Leaving a lasting impact on neighbors in the Brazos Valley and around the world.
"Just trusting the holy spirit and the catholic church to protect the church and find the next pope, and then also just be praying for Francis and his soul and thankful for his life and the gift of himself to the church," Curlin said.
To some of our neighbors, Pope Francis's passing leaves a path of leadership and inspiration.
"He was a leader of the church, shepherd of the flock. That was very important, you know, guiding us all towards Christ, helping us to be better Christians," TAMU student Jack Jacobs said.
"He has just helped motivate me to love the people who maybe are least loved by the world," Erwin said.
But for neighbors like Drew Curlin, this unfortunate event inspires thankfulness and a focus on praying for the catholic church's next chapter.
"Every time somebody passes who knows the lord and loves him and has served him well, it's not really like something bad has happened, but it's a chance to be grateful and then also, to pray for the future of the church and the leadership."