The faithful throughout the Diocese of Phoenix continue to join their brothers and sisters across the globe in praying for the recovery of Pope Francis from severe respiratory health problems.
“We’re all praying,” said Dcn. Roy Drapeau of Ss. Simon and Jude parish in Phoenix.
The Vatican Monday night reported the pope’s condition had improved slightly, with “no new episodes of asthma-like respiratory distress.” Vatican News also stated doctors at Gemelli Hospital in Rome had slightly reduced the pope’s oxygen flow and levels and that his test results had improved. The 88-year-old pope was hospitalized Feb. 14. He was treated for bronchitis and later pneumonia in both lungs.
Hundreds gathered Monday night in St. Peter’s Square in Rome to pray the rosary for the pope.
On Sunday after the 9 a.m. Mass at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral, several clergy – including Bishop John Dolan — and laity were asked for their thoughts and experiences of the Holy Father, who was elected pope in March 2013.
Bishop Dolan was appointed by Pope Francis as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of San Diego in 2017. That year, he joined other newly appointed bishops for the traditional introduction with the Holy Father. The new bishops listened as the pope addressed them.
A few years later, during an ad limina visit, Bishop Dolan came away with a significant development for his signature cause: mental health awareness. Latin meaning “to the threshold of the apostles,” the ad limina visit is required of each American bishop every five years to provide an in-person update to the Vatican on the state of his local diocese. During the visit, Bishop Dolan encouraged Pope Francis to promote the cause of mental wellness. The bishop shared his own story of personal loss through suicide and advocated for greater awareness and promotion of mental health within the Church. Sometime after that conversation, the pope urged the Church to do more to address the issue.
“I was really blessed to have that experience,” Bishop Dolan recalled. “It helped establish a commission within the Vatican on that. What it was able to do was open that door on the worldwide stage.”
Bishop Dolan described Francis as man who understood Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, recorded in St. John’s Gospel (17:20-21), that all may be one. “We can’t abandon anyone,” the bishop said.
While Dcn. Drapeau never met the pope personally, he attended Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in 2016 as part of an American deacons visit during the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy called by Pope Francis.
The Diocese of Phoenix was well-represented that day.
Dcn. Doug Bogart, then the associate director of education and formation for the diaconate, had a personal role alongside the pope. “He actually served on the altar with Pope Francis at that Mass,” Dcn. Drapeau recalled. “He was right there.”
‘He poured out love’
On Sunday at the Phoenix cathedral, Dcn. Drapeau said Pope Francis, a South American native and priest there for years, has brought a perspective to the papacy that has helped Catholics think outside the box.
“He definitely has taught us to look at things from a different perspective, from a whole different part of the world,” Dcn. Drapeau said, adding the pope has placed “a real emphasis” on serving and helping the poor and migrants.
Parishioner Jim Petersen, who has been at Ss. Simon and Jude for 27 years and considers himself “fairly conservative,” sees Pope Francis as a messenger of hope, tolerance and patience.
“Francis is like, ‘Slow your roll, and be a little more patient with your brothers and sisters,’” Petersen said. “I’m not so sure those are such bad things to emphasize.”
Petersen said that the papacy is a tough job, and he believes that popes are tremendously hard workers.
“It never occurred to me they were doing anything else except the work of God as hard as they could all day. They’re going to town on what they believe they’re supposed to do,” he said.
Ss. Simon and Jude Dcn. Doug Small and his wife, Barb, were on a 2019 pilgrimage to Rome, when they were among a crowd greeted by the pope. Though Dcn. Small never met him face to face, he was close enough to see the pope’s expressions as he moved about in and out of his popemobile.
He was struck by how he engaged each person he spoke with.
“He poured out love to them. You have thousands of people coming to you every day and you have to be present to each one. It seemed like he had that presence with each, showing them God’s love through his presence.”
Dcn. Small said the pope has broken down Christianity into a simple mission: “serving one another, being merciful to one another, seeing Jesus in each of us and promoting mercy over judgement; trying to transform our hearts into the heart of Christ.”
