By BENJAMIN KAIL

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON (TNS) — Pennsylvania’s representatives on Capitol Hill honored the life and inclusive papacy of Pope Francis, whose death at 88 the day after Easter sparked tributes from the Keystone State’s strong Catholic communities and past and present leaders in Washington and around the world.

“Today, I join my fellow Catholics in mourning the loss of Pope Francis,” U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, said in a statement. “Throughout his papacy, he symbolized and championed peace and a better world for all. May we continue the Pope’s mission in our daily lives.”

The pope’s death after a lengthy illness sets the stage for a new chapter for the church. The world’s roughly 1.4 billion Catholics are left to wait over the coming weeks to see whether cardinals at the Vatican will elect a leader to carry on Francis’ widely discussed and debated legacy of openness, inclusion and support for migrants and the poor, or someone who may steer church leadership back toward conservatives who often criticized the first pope from Latin America.

But, on Monday, the tributes for Francis flooded in from a range of church leaders and politicians of varying faiths and on both sides of the aisle.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish and whose family recently faced an arson attack on the first night of Passover, said that he and his wife, Lori, joined the commonwealth’s and world’s Catholic community in mourning Pope Francis’ passing.

“I was honored to meet the pope during his 2015 visit to Pennsylvania,” Shapiro, a Democrat, added. “A few years later when he powerfully spoke out in the wake of the grand jury report on child abuse in our commonwealth, he was the first of his position to finally acknowledge the suffering of survivors who have too long been ignored. He leaves a legacy of being a fighter for the defenseless — a teaching we should all learn from.”

Republican Sen. Dave McCormick described the pope as “a remarkable spiritual leader whose life brought hope to millions and made the world a better place.”

He added that he and his wife, Dina Powell McCormick, “join with the devout and strong Catholic community across Pennsylvania mourning his loss with brothers and sisters around the globe. May he rest in peace.”

“I join so many in Western Pennsylvania and around the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis,” Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, said in a post on X. “He was a source of pride for me and so many fellow Catholics and spoke with moral clarity that has become all too rare.”

Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Centre, said on social media that he was reflecting on “the astounding life of Pope Francis, who was a remarkable leader of the Catholic church. His unwavering commitment to ministering to those most in need will not be forgotten.”

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Levittown, called the pope a “humble servant of Christ.”

“He devoted his life to calling for peace, fostering unity, and extending compassion to people of all faiths and backgrounds,” Fitzpatrick posted on X.

Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Philadelphia, called Monday “a sad day the world over.” Noting he met the pope at a prison in northeast Philadelphia during his 2015 visit to the U.S., he said, “Pope Francis was a voice for all, especially the poor and marginalized.”

Vice President JD Vance, who had just met with the pope on Easter Sunday, said his heart went out “to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.”

“I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,” Vance said, noting he would always remember Francis for a homily the pope gave during the early days of the COVID19 pandemic. “It was really quite beautiful.”

Former President Barack Obama, who shared on X a photo of him shaking hands with the pope in the Oval Office, called Francis “the rare leader who made us want to be better people.”

“In his humility and his gestures at once simple and profound — embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners — he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another,” Obama said.

A mass for the Holy Father is set for 7 p.m. Monday at St. Paul Cathedral in Oakland, with Bishop David Zubik saying Monday morning that, “We are experiencing this loss as a family. And as a family would, we need to come together, to be together, to pray together.”