New Jersey Residents Reflect on Seeing Pope Francis on Easter Sunday in St. Peter's Square

Easter Sunday in St. Peter's Square

• 📸 Monica Guy and her family captured moments with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday in St. Peter's Square.
• 🌍 The crowd was diverse, with people from all over the world, including the Philippines and Malaysia.

Transition from Joy to Sadness

• 😔 On Monday, the joy of Easter turned to sadness following the announcement of Pope Francis's death.
• ✅ Despite the sadness, there's a sentiment of acknowledging a "job well done, good and faithful servant."

Pope Francis's Meaning to Catholics

• 💖 For some, Pope Francis embodied their faith as someone inclusive and non-judgmental.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 He was seen as a human being who recognized his own fallibility.

Reflections from Clergy and Laity

• 🙏 Father Caesar Karmo, studying in Rome, felt blessed to have seen the Pope for what might have been the last time, expressing a deep sense of loss but also gratitude for his pontificate.
• 🤝 He described feeling like the world disappeared when in the Pope's presence, experiencing a one-on-one connection with a holy man.
• 🌟 Monica Guy described the trip as bittersweet, cherishing the gift of hearing potentially Pope Francis's last public words with her family, including her non-Christian husband and 84-year-old mother.