The Esperance Catholic community mourned the death of its leader, Pope Francis, through prayer at the Our Lady Star of the Sea church this week.
Worshipers attended the service on Tuesday morning to grieve for the Argentinian Cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who was head of the Catholic Church for 12 years.
Pope Francis, 88, died of a stroke and heart failure at his home in the Vatican City on Easter Monday.
He had been in and out of hospital several times in the last year for various health reasons.
Esperance parish priest Father Pawel Szczur said it was like losing a loved one because the Pope was such an important person in the Catholic faith.
“It’s a sad situation – you know, with your family member you know that he is sick and close to the end and you try and be prepared for it but you are never ever ready for it,” Father Szczur said.
“We prayed for him, we prayed for the Church and we prayed that the almighty God will welcome him into his kingdom.
“He helps us understand the beauty of our faith.”
Pope Francis was born in Buenos Aires in 1936 and had his heart set on becoming a chemist before he dedicated his life to catholicism.
He is a self-proclaimed “sinner” which he made clear when he was sworn in as the head of the church in 2013.
“I am a sinner, but having relied upon the mercy and infinite patience of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the spirit of penance, I accept,” Pope Francis said at the time.
Father Szczur said “every Pope brings something to the table” and Pope Francis was no different.
His methods were unconventional compared to his predecessors.
Much to the indignation of some Catholics, he spent most of his time speaking with critics of the Church, atheist journalists, LGBTQI+ activists and other non-members.
An article by Vatican News said he was always interested in the lives of the people he met. It wrote he was “the Pope of the people”.
The Esperance parish, including Father Szczur prayed around Esperance after his passing on Monday.
Father Szczur said the next Pope would be left in the “hands of the Holy Spirit” to be chosen.
“For us, the Pope is a very close person – he is the leader, and he shows us and helps us to understand the message that God wants to send to us,” Father Szczur said.
“Whoever will be the next Pope will be the right one for us in this time.”
Pope Francis was the 266th Cardinal. He was the second oldest Pope in history.
