Coachella Valley residents remember Pope Francis
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Pope Francis has died and his followers across the globe are mourning his death.
The Vatican announced his death at age 88 on Monday, just one day after he made a public appearance for Easter Sunday in Rome. The Vatican says he died at 7:35 a.m. local time (1:35 a.m. ET).
Howard Lincoln, the who served as pastor of Sacred Heart in Palm Desert for 20 years, remembers the Pope's influence.
"I was able to actually speak with him twice. I was on two different occasions for all of maybe 30 seconds each time. But really a wonderful, warm man," the former pastor says. "He taught the gospel value, that we all had a responsibility or responsibility towards critically towards the poor, that it was squarely on our shoulders to help the poor."
An Easter Monday mass was held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Palm Springs at noon on Monday. The faithful attending that mass say with the pontiff's passing, the service took on an added meaning: "It's an added thing. Easter Monday is is very special to the Catholic faith. … It's just going to be something special that we're going to be talking about and praying for."
Lincoln says the timing of Pope Francis's death is significant.
"I think it's beautiful that he died on Easter. Maybe that wasn't a coincidence. Maybe that was God's plan. And his last public words were Happy Easter to everyone," Lincoln notes.
Meanwhile, other locals, Catholic or not, remember the Pope and the actions defining his legacy.
Alain Piallat, a Palm Desert resident who was raised Catholic, says, "I think he's done some very good things. He was a bit controversial at times, but I think he was for the poor and will be remembered as such."
Craig Hodes, another Palm Desert resident who is Jewish, also remembers the leader of the Catholic Church in a positive light. "He was just a loving man. I'm Jewish. I'm not Christian or Catholic, but he was a wonderful human being. ... It seems like he really cared about just everybody in general."
