When Pope Francis visited the United States in 2015, cheering crowds of Catholics and non-Catholics turned out in New York, Washington and Philadelphia to greet him, lifting hopes that the U.S. church was about to enter a new,

Pope Francis didn’t affirm same-sex marriage or lobby for ordaining women as priests. But he gently steered the Catholic Church in a more progressive direction while leading with compassion, openness and humility.

At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity,