WNY Catholics respond to hospitalization of Pope Francis

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — As Pope Francis approaches nearly two weeks in the hospital battling heath concerns, Western New York Catholics are responding with their support and prayers.

WIVB News 4 spoke with Mike Taheri and Patrick Gorman, parishioners who have been vocal in the fight to keep churches open during the Buffalo Diocese’s “road to renewal.”

Gorman said if the pope were to die, he would go down as one who led through the hardest time of being a Catholic, losing the amount of faithful with many going through what the Buffalo Diocese has the last year.

Gorman added that the next pope will have to bear that cross if Pope Francis does die.

“You and I both know what we’re going through here in Buffalo,” Gorman said. “So, I think that the priests and the Buffalo Diocese and our bishop, they’re still going to be our bishop, they’re still going to be our priest. We need a pope that’s going to help bring us all back together again.”

News 4 asked the question of what legacy the pope has left over the years.

“I think the pope will go down as just a great, great pope for teaching us about the role of Jesus and his teachings and concern,” Taheri said. “One of his sayings was, you know, you want the church to be a field hospital for those who are most wounded, those who are most broken and most in need, and frankly, I think he’s really taken some great steps to achieve that.”

Gorman also said if the pope were to die, it would leave a big hole in the world as the pope, among politicians and world leaders, is the one who so many people know and respect.

“How this illness impacts on his ministry and his capacity to perform, we don’t know, but what we do know is God is working through him and God is going to continue to work through him and through the Catholic faith, so it’s up to us as the Catholic faithful to pray for the pope, but to help the pope in any way, he asks us to help him,” Taheri said.

The pope’s official X account acknowledges the outpouring of support and thanked everyone for the prayers.

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Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.

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