Pope Francis, 88, died Monday following a stroke. Many Oregonians say they will miss him.

“I was shocked. We saw him up and recuperating from his illness,” said Suzanne Theil, a Bishop with Roman Catholic Women Priests USA. “I don’t think we expected him to have died quite so suddenly.”

Theil said it’s a sad day and that the world has lost a great leader.

“I mean look at the warm, wonderful man he was,” Theil said. “Trying to be open, whether it’s the gay and lesbian population, years ago when he was on that plane and said, ‘Who am I to judge?’ Whether it’s dealing with trans people and meeting with them. Whether it’s dealing with the migrants. Whether it’s trying to promote peace in the world. This man truly is a saint.”

Other faith leaders agreed he was widely loved.

Father Pat Donoghue, of St. Anthony Parish in Southeast Portland, said the people at his small mass on Monday morning were upset.

“Most people I speak with thought he was a very good Pope and somebody who cared about the poor, migrants and those who are generally out of the mainstream,” Donoghue said.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in remembrance.

“I mourn the passing of a champion for the poor, for climate action, for a more just and inclusive world,” Kotek said. ”His guidance in this moment of human history will be missed. Rest in Peace, Pope Francis.”

Reverend Dr. Chuck Currie, a protestant minister with the United Church of Christ, called the pope a prophetic leader who focused on those living in poverty, on climate change and on peace.

“We had different views on important issues such as abortion, to be sure, but his primary concern was not in making judgments,” Currie said in a statement.

Currie, who was at the White House in 2015 to cheer the pope’s arrival, said he deeply admired Pope Francis.

“He recognized the image of God in all people,” Currie said.

University of Portland officials issued a statement, saying the school joins the world in mourning.

“Pope Francis was completely unafraid to cross borders of all kinds to be a sign of God’s unconditional love,” the statement reads. “His seemingly simple acts of eschewing papal vestments, living in a humble apartment, and washing the feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday are, in fact, profound expressions of a deep commitment to the poor, the downtrodden, and those who live on the peripheries.”

A statement from Abbot Jeremy Driscoll at Mount Angel Abbey said they’re giving thanks for the Pope’s many years of ministry.

“He had great affection for the Church, for the people entrusted to his care,” Driscoll said. “We pray for his eternal rest, and we pray for the whole Church as we await the next shepherd whom the Holy Spirit will give to us.”

At De La Salle North Catholic High School in Portland, students and faculty started the school day with a prayer honoring “the courageous spiritual leadership of Pope Francis.”

In addition, a simple altar has been set up to encourage prayer and reflection on his legacy.

“When we gather on Thursday for our Easter mass,” said president Ashleigh de Villiers, “We will memorialize his spirit as well as pray for the cardinals’ conclave in their selection process for the Church’s next leader.”

OPB reporters Natalie Pate and Tiffany Camhi contributed to this report.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/04/21/oregonians-react-to-the-death-of-pope-francis/