Southland Catholics gathered Wednesday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to celebrate a special Mass for the election of a new pope following the death of Pope Francis.
The Mass, which memorializes the first day of the papal conclave at the Vatican, called for unity in faith and prayer as the cardinals begin voting in secret to select a new pope to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics.
Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez said Catholics should pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the conclave “as they seek to elect our new pope.”
By the end of the day in Rome, black smoke emanated from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, indicating no new pope was elected during the first round of voting.
Francis, a former archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the first Latin American pontiff, died April 21 in the Vatican at age 88 — one day after Easter. He served as pope for 12 years.
Also Wednesday, a pair of Francis’ shoes were put on display at the downtown Los Angeles cathedral. The shoes were a gift from the late pope to Noel DÃaz, an evangelist and journalist from Los Angeles.
DÃaz explained to the gathering that he and the pope bonded in 2016 when DÃaz, once a shoeshine boy in Tijuana, shined Francis’ shoes on the papal plane.
Now a businessman and founder of the ESNE Spanish-language Catholic television and radio network, DÃaz said he met privately with Francis last Thanksgiving, and the pope jokingly asked for another shoeshine.
“I said I don’t have the shine box, and he said `I will give you a pair of shoes,”’ DÃaz said. “Two days later, a secretary said to go pick up the shoes at (the pope’s residence at Casa Santa Marta in Rome).”
DÃaz said the shoes symbolize “a message that we have as Catholics to serve our brothers and sisters. To serve those that are in need. During these times in our lives there are so many people hurting.”
The message, DÃaz said, is to “continue the mission, continue being active (and) serving.”
Gomez said Francis “was always very close to all of us here at the archdiocese Los Angeles. He sent us a beautiful message during the wildfires, and he was always in touch with us.”