Pope Francis invited the world to 'move forward together,' St. John's archbishop says

The Archbishop of St. John's says he'll remember Pope Francis as someone who was not afraid to face controversy, and someone who wanted to bring people together.

"He was really challenging us to look at how do we lead the church, and how do we involve everybody in the way forward. So I think he's been a pope that certainly invited us to move forward together," Peter Hundt told CBC News on Monday.

Hundt was appointed by Pope Francis in 2018.

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. He was head of the Catholic Church for 12 years and had recently been released from a five-week hospital stay after a bout of bronchitis that developed into pneumonia. He also showed signs of early kidney failure.

Francis made his final public appearance just the day before, giving a blessing and wishing people who had gathered at the Vatican a happy Easter.

"He was a pope that was very open about the fact that we as human beings need to do a better job of taking care of our planet," said Hundt. "He was never afraid to admit the mistakes that we've made as a church, the abuse that's been suffered."

Father Paul Lundrigan, of Holy Trinity Parish in Torbay, says that commitment to meeting with the public showed the kind of person Francis was.

"To have seen him out at Saint Peter's Square, going around with the people, being with them and giving blessings, he lived right up to the end the way that he had always lived his faith," Lundrigan said.

"It's a sad day for the church, but a day to reflect on how blessed we've been to have had such a wonderful leader."

Gemma Hickey, president of Ending Clergy Abuse, says many people are feeling the loss of Pope Francis.

In recent years, Hickey has been working with Vatican officials to address gaps in how the Catholic church addresses abuse.

"Certainly, he was a more progressive pope in many ways than others. And he certainly opened doors to dialogue where others fail to do so in terms of the clergy sexual abuse crisis," Hickey said.

Lundrigan says Francis took risks in addressing abuse in ways others haven't. He also spoke on the role of women in the church and 2SLGBTQ+ Catholics, and famously visited Canada in July 2022 to advance reconciliation efforts and apologize for the abuse brought on in residential schools.

"It has opened the door for a lot of people who felt pushed out and left out," Lundrigan said. "He has started something that we can't stop."