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Georgetown Mourns the Passing of Pope Francis

Georgetown deeply mourns the passing of Pope Francis. His impact has been felt around the world, including among our Georgetown community. We are honored to have engaged with Pope Francis since his election in 2013, and have been grateful for the hospitality he showed our students and faculty, as we have worked to address the important issues of our time and further realize our Catholic and Jesuit educational mission. As we remember and celebrate the life of Pope Francis, look back at Pope Francis’ history with Georgetown.

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A Message From Robert M. Groves

Read Interim President Robert M. Groves’ message to the community on Pope Francis and what he has meant to Georgetown during his papacy.

Read the Message to the Community
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Georgetown’s Engagement With Pope Francis

Georgetown has had a long history of partnerships with the Vatican and has partnered with Pope Francis on multiple initiatives throughout his papacy. Learn more about how the work Georgetown has done with Pope Francis and continues to do with the Vatican.

Read the Story
Pope Francis shakes hands with John DeGioia and his wife
President Emeritus John J. DeGioia and his wife Teresa DeGioia meet with Pope Francis in Rome.
Pope Francis seated in a large group at the Vatican
Pope Francis after a conference hosted by Georgetown’s Berkley Center in Rome in 2013.
Pope Francis holds a scarf with Georgetown written on it
Pope Francis during an audience in connection with a conference hosted by Georgetown’s Berkley Center in Rome in 2013.
Norm Beauchamp shakes Pope Francis's hand.
Pope Francis received Dr. Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., executive vice president for health sciences, during a visit to the Vatican on Sept. 19. Photo courtesy of © Vatican Media.
Pope Francis stands with a group of leaders in a room at the Vatican.
Pope Francis with leaders including those from Georgetown affiliated with the Pope’s Global Alliance for the Health and Humanitarian Care of Children.

Messages From the Georgetown Community

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Messages From the Georgetown Community

  • Fr. Mark Bosco, S.J.

    “We loved Pope Francis and deeply admired his vision for the Church. He will be sorely missed, but as people of faith, we trust in the hope of the Resurrection. His commitment to dialogue, and his emphasis on the Gospel of mercy and compassion, have left a profound impact on us at Georgetown.”

  • Kim Daniels, Director, Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life

    “Yesterday Pope Francis proclaimed ‘Christ is Risen!’ and today he went home to the Lord. From his election 12 years ago when he first humbly asked for the people’s blessing to yesterday’s Easter message of joy and hope, Pope Francis has lifted up a vision of our Church renewed in our mission of mercy, humble yet bold, rooted in tradition yet forward-looking, and above all keeping our doors open to all, especially those ‘lying wounded by the roadside.’ We mourn his passing and are grateful for his life and leadership.”

  • Tom Banchoff, Director, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs

    “We deeply regret the passing of Pope Francis, whose life and legacy will continue to inspire our research, teaching, and outreach mission for years to come.”

  • John Borelli, Special Assistant to the President for Catholic Identity and Dialogue, and Senior Research Fellow, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs

    “As we mourn the death of Pope Francis, we are grateful to the core of our being for his papacy and for his church and global leadership. He embraced the title ‘Bishop of Rome’ not a moment too soon, when the Catholic Church was in serious need of a reversal of priorities, and learned wisely and humbly over these twelve years how to restore the needed reforms and initiatives of Vatican II while providing unparalleled worldwide leadership for humanity in need of hope, solace and encouragement during these difficult times of wars, pandemic, and climate change and the human suffering effected by these. This Easter Monday is a most fitting day to face the future with the hope that he instilled within us. We can pray with confidence that the next pope will lead with the same humility and openness for dialogue and engagement that Pope Francis witnessed and that his example of living simply but generously, giving priority to the poor and those in serious need, will continue among all Christian faithful and their ordained leadership.”

  • Norman J. Beauchamp Jr., MD, MHS, Executive Vice President for Health Sciences, and Executive Dean, School of Medicine.

    “Today, I share a deep sadness with those in our community and world who mourn the death of Pope Francis. I recently met His Holiness and was deeply moved to be in the presence of someone who had truly dedicated his life in the service to the poor and the underserved. He will be remembered for his deep care and concern for those less fortunate, and for living a virtuous life in the Jesuit tradition. His memory lives on in the work we’re committed to at Georgetown – bringing health and healing to all. Consistent with his example, we will maintain an urgency that is commensurate with persisting struggles and as he charged us in our recent visit to the Vatican, we will accelerate and grow our impact by working with faith communities.”

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Pope Francis’s Interfaith Engagement

Pope Francis encouraged interreligious dialogue and friendships to build a more peaceful, loving world. Rabbi Abraham Skorka, senior research fellow for Jewish Studies and Jewish-Christian Relations at Georgetown, was a longtime friend of Pope Francis. In this remembrance, Skorka shares how the two built an open dialogue over the years, opening their hearts in the process.

Read Rabbi Skorka’s Reflection
Pope Francis and Rabbi Abraham Skorka speak on a panel together.

Rabbi Abraham Skorka To Deepen Interfaith Dialogue, Research on Jewish Studies at Georgetown

Pope Francis wears white and raises hand in a crowd

Pope Francis Welcomes Georgetown Conference in Rome on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue

Pope Francis expressed his public support in a letter to the conference organizers, Georgetown’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Jesuit journal La Civiltà Cattolica.

Black Holy Bible next to a Red Qur'an on a wood surface

‘We Have To Find Commonality’: Pope Francis’ Dialogue With Muslim Clerics Offers Hope for Interfaith Collaboration

An interfaith panel of religious leaders explored the significance of Pope Francis’ 2021 visit to Iraq, when he met with Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, an influential Shia cleric.

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Memorial Services

Please join the Georgetown community for the following memorial services on Monday, April 21:

  • Rosary for the Repose of the Soul of Pope Francis, 8:15 p.m., Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart
  • Mass for Easter Monday with special prayers for the Repose of the Soul of Pope Francis, 9:00 p.m., Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart (regular 9:00 p.m. Mass moved from Copley Crypt)
  • Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will follow Mass as usual in Dahlgren Chapel of the Sacred Heart
Service Information
Pope Francis stands with a group of leaders in a room at the Vatican.

Georgetown’s Global Health Institute Joins Pope Francis’ Initiative to Care for Children’s Health

Georgetown Students Dialogue with Pope Francis in Live Zoom Event

In January, two Georgetown students received an unexpected invitation: Join Pope Francis on a live Zoom call. A few weeks later, they presented their experiences and questions to the Pope.

Pope Francis holds a Georgetown banner

Pope Francis Meets with Georgetown Professors and Students

Georgetown students and professors have a private audience with Pope Francis during an international conference on religious freedom in Rome organized by the university’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and…

Media Requests

Georgetown has a number of experts on the papacy and the Vatican who are available for the media upon request.

Learn More