Utahns reflect on the legacy of Pope Francis after his death

SALT LAKE CITY — As news of the death of Pope Francis spreads, global reactions are pouring in.

In Utah, members of the Catholic faith gathered for a special mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine Monday morning to pray for Pope Francis following the news of his passing.

Father Martin Diaz, the Cathedral’s pastor and rector, said Pope Francis will be remembered for his focus on the poor and the lonely and for expanding the Catholic Church worldwide.

“The sadness is that we have lost this wonderful, wonderful person, this wonderful friend for the whole world. Someone who reached out to the periphery, someone who reached out and brought in everyone, welcomed everyone. Someone whose heart was just full of love,” Diaz said.

Director of Worship for the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City Lorena Needham spoke with KSL on her way into Monday morning’s service.

“I’m sure and comforted by the fact that he’s a man of prayer and been immersed in prayers for life and caring for all of us,” she said. “So, now that he’s united with our Eternal Father, this gives me great comfort.” 

Needham said Pope Francis shared many messages during his life that people needed to hear and felt it was important to be at Monday’s service to unite her prayers with others.

Salt Lake resident Xander Julian also attended the mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine this morning.

“I actually have not been to church in quite a while, and the pope’s passing really pushed me to come today,” said Julian. “I feel like he’s done so much for LGBTQ issues.”

Julian said he felt he needed to be at today’s service to pay his respects to Pope Francis and the work he did during his life.

“I feel like he has done so much for me and my family and really brought the gift of God to light,” Julian said.

The Cathedral of the Madeleine will hold a memorial Mass for Francis on Tuesday at 5:15 p.m.

Utah leaders react to the loss of Pope Francis

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a statement Monday morning that said in part:

We join the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis … As the world pauses to remember his example of forgiveness and service, we feel deep gratitude for the goodness of a life well lived and rejoice in the hope of a glorious resurrection made possible through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.”

“We join the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. Countless lives have been blessed by his courageous and compassionate leadership. We extend our… pic.twitter.com/z7xV1Okdvv

— The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (@Ch_JesusChrist) April 21, 2025

 

Utah Sen. John Curtis posted on X to reflect on the pope’s life. 

“Pope Francis lived an exemplary life marked by humility and compassion — blessing countless lives with his service and leadership. As we mourn his loss, Sue and I pray for those who turned to him for guidance and encouragement, including those in Utah’s Catholic community.”

Utah Sen. Mike Lee wrote in an X post, “May Pope Francis rest in the peace and joy of God, and may our Catholic brothers and sisters across the world be given comfort and grace today and always. ”

Rep. Celeste Maloy also took to social media to reflect on Francis’ death.

“Pope Francis lived his life in the service of others and will be remembered for his extraordinary compassion and humility. My thoughts and prayers go out to Christians in Utah and around the world who looked to him for inspiration and are mourning his passing,” her post read.

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