Austin’s Daily Commentary – The Passing of Pope Francis
Austin talks about the commentary on the passing of Pope Francis and being respectful. Austin: Sadly, this morning, I’m already seeing some unkind and unpolite commentary being expressed concerning the passing…
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 21: Westminster Cathedral marks the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025 in London, England. The Vatican announced that Pope Francis, 88 , died on Monday at 07:35 local time (05:35 GMT) and “the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father”. His death comes after he appeared in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, greeting thousands of worshippers. (Photo by Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images)
Alishia Abodunde/Getty Images
Austin talks about the commentary on the passing of Pope Francis and being respectful.
Austin: Sadly, this morning, I'm already seeing some unkind and unpolite commentary being expressed concerning the passing of Pope Francis. Certainly, he was an unconventional Pope, one of the most controversial in our lifetime, certainly the most controversial in my lifetime, when it comes to certain political beliefs and social norms for the Catholic Church being departed from. I'm being respectful here, which is what I'm urging those who are not necessarily Catholic or deeply invested in the Catholic Church to be at this time.
The man has died. There is a period of mourning for the Catholic Church, and this is a time of great mourning for most serious Catholics. Whether or not they agreed with the Pope does not matter. It's like a patriarch that perhaps had become a little bit difficult to deal with in elderly years. When the passing of a patriarch occurs, there is most definitely a period of mourning for all involved in the family.
Bottom line, let's just be respectful during this period of transition. There'll be time to express political beliefs and social beliefs shortly, not a time to be rude, certainly not a time to celebrate in any way, shape, or form. A man of great meaning to so many has passed away. I believe his heart was full of love, and he had genuine positive intention in all that he said and all that he thought.
When an individual like that passes, respect is most definitely deserved, and I believe the Catholics among us deserve that as well. God bless all who mourn, and hopefully we can all move on shortly with fulfilled hearts and rational opinions being expressed from the bottom of my heart. That's the comment. I'm Austin Rhodes, 95.1-FM News Talk, WGAC.
