(San Antonio) — Tributes are flooding in for Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88. San Antonio Catholic Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller spent time with him, and called him a humble servant.
“He told us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized,” said Garcia-Siller.
Garcia-Siller says the Pope would often talk about showing love to all people in need. He says the Pope often spoke of immigrants, and he even held a mass on the Texas border with Mexico.
“His unwavering commitment to migrants and refugees, have marked him as a reformer for our times,” said Garcia-Siller.
The archbishop says that Pope Francis was also a man, who loved to meet people.
“He loved the world, and all of the people of the world, and the God who created it,” said Garcia-Siller.
Pope Francis will lie in state in the St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican starting Wednesday. There, the faithful can pay their respects to the late Pontiff. The Vatican announced that Francis’ funeral will be held Saturday before he is taken to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for entombment.
Meanwhile, the College of Cardinals will soon hold several meetings at the Vatican to start the process of selecting a new pope. They will prep for the upcoming papal election, called a conclave, 15-to-20 days after the Pope’s death, depending on how long it takes for the cardinals to arrive in Vatican City. Conclaves are held in the Sistine Chapel and have historically lasted an average of four days.
Papal historian Michael Walsh explained how the process of selecting a new pope will play out in the coming weeks.
“They’re 135 of them, which is more than they’ve ever been before. In fact, it is a bit of a puzzle. The election constitution, which was brought up by Pope John Paul II, only allows for 120 electors. But anyway, I’m sure that they’re not going to turn anybody away,” said Walsh.
The candidate needs a two-thirds majority to become Pope. Ballots used in the last round are burned and used to create smoke signals.
Black smoke means a failed election while white means a successful one.