Windsor faith leaders reflect on Pope Francis’ impact on inclusion and compassion

Local reaction to the death of Pope Francis. CTV Windsor's Sanjay Maru has the story.

When Pope Francis made global headlines for comments suggesting gay individuals should not be judged or marginalized, but rather welcomed and integrated into society, Rev. Robin Sherman said she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

By that time, Sherman’s congregation at Tecumseh United Church had already completed the process of becoming formally affirming of LGBTQ2S+ individuals.

It followed years of community education and dialogue — a commitment to making inclusivity not just a value but a practice.

So, when those words came from the head of the Catholic Church, they landed differently.

“It did give people sort of a shot in the arm that maybe others will join in now on what we had already seen as a no-brainer — that all people should be welcome in Christ’s Church,” she said.

Sherman is among several Windsor-area faith leaders reflecting on the death of Pope Francis, who died Easter Monday at age 88. The Vatican said he suffered a stroke and heart failure.

Sherman said she saw early signs that Pope Francis would be a different kind of leader, choosing humility over grandeur, visiting prisoners and resisting the symbolism of papal regalia.

“He showed right from the beginning that he went right to the people,” she said.

In July 2013, during an in-flight press conference returning from World Youth Day in Brazil, Pope Francis made a groundbreaking statement about gay individuals in the clergy.

When asked about reports of a “gay lobby” within the Vatican, he responded by asking, “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?”

He went on to reference the Catechism of the Catholic Church, saying gay individuals should not be marginalized, but integrated into society.

The remark marked a notable shift in the Catholic Church’s tone on LGBTQ issues, emphasizing dignity, inclusion and God’s love for all.

In a statement, the Diocese of London — which oversees Catholic parishes across Windsor-Essex — said Catholics and non-Catholics alike had a deep appreciation for his leadership.

“Pope Francis boldly proclaimed that God’s mercy is the heart of the Gospel and that it is offered to everyone,” the statement reads. “He was a true pastor … especially [to] those who were poor and on the margins.”

The diocese also pointed to his 2022 visit to Canada and the impact of his apology to Indigenous Peoples for the Church’s role in the residential school system, “They spoke to me of how moved they were by the pope’s words and of the healing it brought them.”

Sherman said gestures like that have ripple effects — not just within the Catholic Church but in other denominations as well.

Her own church’s affirming designation, she explained, is meant to send a clear message to those who might otherwise feel unwelcome in faith spaces.

“It’s for people outside the church to know we are an accepting place — not just say ‘all are welcome,’ but to live the promise,” Sherman said.

Elsewhere in Windsor, Catholic educators say Pope Francis had a unique ability to connect with young people.

Rick Frias, a religion and family life consultant with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, said the pope’s blend of tradition and empathy made him relatable in the classroom.

“He had a real gift of holding the teachings of our Church, but yet being pastoral,” said Frias. “He created a Church that listens.”

Frias pointed to the school board’s participation in a national program rooted in Laudato Si’, the pope’s 2015 encyclical on the environment, as one example of that impact.

Students, he said, responded to Francis’ attention to social justice.

“He was a person who brought hope,” Frias said. “Our young people resonate with that.”

As for Sherman, she said one question now lingers with the papal seat vacant.

“What kind of person will come in next?” she asked. “Will they have the same ideals and ideas about where we’re going — and how we can be part of a future that brings that love to all?”

Pope Francis became the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013.