Father Briscoe to Newsmax: Pope Remembered for Mercy

Pope Francis' "great spiritual teaching" was on the subject of mercy, the Rev. Patrick Mary Briscoe, editor of Our Sunday Visitor magazine, said Monday, telling Newsmax that he believes he will be remembered as the "Pope of mercy."

"It was his emphasis from the very first moments of his papacy," Briscoe said on "Wake Up America." "Some of my own personal memories of Pope Francis are connected to this teaching, in fact, when I was in Krakow with millions of young people for World Youth Day in 2016, during the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.

"I say mercy because he had so much, so many efforts to reach out to all kinds of people, so that all kinds of people would know the mercy of God, the abundant love of God. So I firmly believe, I deeply believe, that's a key part of Pope Francis' legacy and what we'll all be remembering him for."

Francis, 88, died on Easter Monday. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican's temporary leader, confirmed his passing with an announcement early in the day. Francis, the second oldest Pope in church history, had long struggled with lung issues and had recently been released from the hospital after five weeks of treatment for double pneumonia that began Feb. 14.

According to Briscoe, young people "loved the Pope and he was very intentional about the way that he reached out to them."

"Young people will remember Pope Francis as a guide and, I think, above all, the spiritual life that Pope Francis has taught them to pray and to love the Lord and to evangelize, to be bold," Briscoe said. "Pope Francis' first great letter that I'll remember is 'The Joy of the Gospel' and with that emphasis of going out, I think many young people were encouraged in their own practice of the faith, and we're certainly seeing that in the rise of devotion among young Catholics, not just in the United States, but globally. 

"The numbers of young people entering the church this Easter were remarkable. I think part of that, no doubt, is because of the way that Pope Francis reached out and encouraged them and they're living in the faith."

As mourners gather at the Vatican to pay their respects to Francis over the next several days, Briscoe said he thinks they will remember how the late Pope "engaged the world," beyond even "the confines of just the Catholic" faith.

"Pope Francis, of course, is known for his environmentalism … people will be thinking of that," he said. "They'll be thinking of how Pope Francis was a leader for the best of mankind, how Pope Francis wanted to build a kind of common humanity, to promote a vision of life that was positive and that would promote the common good. I think that's certainly at the forefront of the pope's legacy, that he was not just a leader for the Catholic Church, but a leader for the world."

GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:

NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!

Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.

You need to watch NEWSMAX today.

Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!

Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now

BEST OFFER:

Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.

Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.

Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!

Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.

Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!

Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com

• John Moody to Newsmax: Pope Francis 'Ran Roughshod' Over Church Traditions
• Easter Pilgrims in St. Peter's Square Stunned by Pope's Death