‘Thank God’ for Pope Francis: St. Boniface archbishop

Pope Francis “was like an elder brother to me, showing the way,” one Winnipeg archbishop said after the pontiff’s death.

“It was not him saying, ‘Go there,’ but saying, ‘Come with me,’” Albert LeGatt of the Archdiocese of St. Boniface said of the way the pope, who died Monday, put his words into action.

“I thank God we had him as pope.”

LeGatt, who met Francis about 10 times, said he felt a personal connection with him during each encounter.

“I could see it in his eyes, feel it in his handshake, that he was fully present with me and engaged,” he said.

LeGatt remembered how Francis took time to listen and hear from others. This included a meeting with western Canadian bishops in 2017.

“We spent two-and-a-half hours with him. Much of the time was spent with him asking questions, asking our opinions about reconciliation with Indigenous people, about migrants, about the life of the church in Canada. They were open-ended conversations where he really listened to what we had to say,” LeGatt said.

LeGatt, reflecting on the pope’s life and ministry, said his willingness to listen is one thing that really stood out.

“He believed that everyone has a voice in the church, that it works its way through everything we do,” he said.

LeGatt said was also impressed by the pope’s desire to deal with the Roman Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal, including reaching out to victims and working at ways to prevent such abuse.

“He took time to listen to survivors, to hear their stories and their pain,” he said.

Francis’ calls for peace in the world were also important, LeGatt said, citing his concern for places such as Gaza, Ukraine and “wherever there is conflict and people are suffering.”

Francis reached out to people of all faiths, LeGatt said.

“There was nobody he wasn’t willing to reach out to,” he said. “He said we are all brothers and sisters across our differences. For him, respect and dialogue were important.”

Francis is “an example I want to continue to follow,” LeGatt said.

“He was grounded in Jesus in everything he did. Through his life, he helped a lot of people think more seriously about the Gospel, maybe even take another look at the church … he is an example I want to follow.”

Murray Chatlain, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, met Pope Francis twice.

“I was struck by his taking time with all of us, his simplicity and his effort at really listening to what we had to say,” Chatlain said.

“There was nobody he wasn’t willing to reach out to. He said we are all brothers and sisters across our differences. For him, respect and dialogue were important.”– Archbishop Albert LeGatt of

the Archdiocese of St. Boniface

He went on to praise how Francis drew attention to the need to protect the planet and how he issued a challenge to “bring a spirit of respect and long-term thinking to the decisions we are making as individuals, corporations and governments.”

Francis also reminded Christians of the Bible’s call to welcome strangers, Chatlain said.

“While some politicians use migrants as scapegoats, Pope Francis reminded us of welcoming and accompanying our displaced brothers and sisters,” he said.

Pope Francis “walked the talk,” Chatlain stated. “He lived a life of simplicity and poverty remarkable for one in such a high position of leadership.”

Lawrence Huculak, metropolitan archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy in Manitoba, also met Pope Francis multiple times.

“Although his English was limited, and Ukrainian was non-existent, I felt very much his concerned attention to what I or others were saying,” Huculak said.

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“Through his life, he helped a lot of people think more seriously about the Gospel, maybe even take another look at the church … he is an example I want to follow.”– Albert LeGatt

Huculak praised Francis for his concern for peace, including in Ukraine.

“We appreciated very much his frequent concerns for the unjust war in Ukraine and the sufferings of the Ukrainian people in the many ways that war brings,” Huculak said. “Although some expected more from the bishop of Rome, his interventions none the less were appreciated.”

Two special masses will be held for Pope Francis in Winnipeg. The first is at 7:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Wednesday. The second is at 7:30 p.m. at St. Boniface Cathedral on Friday.

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John Longhurst
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John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.

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