JUAREZ, Mexico (Border Report) – Maria Elena Guevara vividly recalls that February day when she met Pope Francis.
“I saw him walking by, this close. I waved goodbye and he blessed us,” the Juarez resident said about the encounter more than nine years ago. “My spirit was filled with peace. It was a very emotional moment, and I feel blessed.”
Guevara was among the quarter-million people who attended Francis’ Mass at El Punto, an empty lot in this border city overlooking the Rio Grande. On Monday, she walked up the stairs of Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral to say a prayer for the pontiff, who died earlier in the day in Rome.
Inside the cathedral, Bishop Guadalupe Torres and a score of priests dressed in white celebrated Mass for the son of Italian immigrants who grew up in his native Argentina and rose to the summit of Roman Catholic hierarchy in 2013.
Francis’ impact on the U.S.-Mexico border went well beyond good memories from his 2016 visit to Juarez. Francis was outspoken on immigrants’ rights, at times putting himself at odds with powerful leaders like President Trump.
“Throughout his papacy, Pope Francis championed the rights of migrants and refugees, emphasizing human dignity and compassion in the face of immigration challenges,” the nonprofit Estrella del Paso migrant advocacy organization said. “He argued that immigration laws should prioritize human dignity over enforcement measures.”
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Border agents ride along the border fence in El Paso, Texas, near the site where Pope Francis will stand on a praying platform on the banks of the Rio Grande in Juarez, Mexico, facing a group along the border fence Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) -
Pope Francis waves from the popemobile as he heads to the airport in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico to depart for Rome on February 17, 2016. Throngs gathered at Mexico’s border with the United States on Wednesday for a huge mass with Pope Francis highlighting the plight of migrants — a hot-button issue on the US presidential campaign trail. AFP PHOTO/ Julio Cesar Aguilar / AFP / Julio Cesar Aguilar (Photo credit should read JULIO CESAR AGUILAR/AFP via Getty Images) -
Pope Francis waves from his popemobile as he leaves the fairgrounds in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016, where he celebrated an outdoor Mass. Francis thanked Mexicans for their hospitality at his final Mass in the country. Francis’ appearance in the border city of Ciudad Juarez wraps up a five-day visit during which he repeatedly condemned the violence, corruption and poverty that tear apart many Mexican communities. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) -
A cross on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, which marks the division between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas, United States, in the place where Pope Francis will pray for migrants, in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, on February 16, 2016., on the eve of his arrival. Pope Francis urged Mexican priests and nuns on Tuesday to not despair in the face of violence as he visited Michoacan, a former bastion of a cult-like drug cartel. AFP PHOTO / PEDRO PARDO / AFP / Pedro PARDO (Photo credit should read PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images)
Francis’ message came during a decade in which migration accelerated worldwide. Europe and the United States became destinations as violence, poverty and climate change pushed people out of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Countries like Mexico and Panama were bridges for masses crossing jungles and deserts, trying to avoid extortion, robbery or worse from criminal organizations waiting along the way.
Torres acknowledged the mandate of humility and protection for the vulnerable from Francis.
“He spoke loudly when asking us to welcome and protect those in need, especially the migrants,” he said.
Hours earlier, the Catholic Diocese of El Paso had sent a statement mourning the loss but celebrating the pope’s legacy.
“We give thanks for his life of humble service, his tireless advocacy for the poor, the immigrant and the marginalized, and his unwavering witness to the mercy of God,” the Diocese said. “A friend to the Borderland of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez during his life and service as Pope, the Holy Father was always united in prayer with the people of West Texas.”
The writ ended with a phrase in Spanish translated as, “Grant him, Lord, eternal rest. And may eternal light shine on him.”
A conclave of cardinals of the Catholic Church will choose the next pope in a secretive and potentially lengthy process rooted in centuries’ old tradition.
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