Nova Scotia Catholics mourn death of Pope Francis

Catholics across Nova Scotia are mourning the death of Pope Francis.

Halifax-Yarmouth Archbishop Brian Joseph Dunn says a larger-than-usual crowd attended a lunchtime mass at Saint Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Halifax on Monday to pay their respects to the Pope, who had been the leader of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013.

"Many people were very saddened by the news and obviously were there to pray for the Holy Father," said Dunn.

In recent months, Pope Francis had been quite ill, spending five weeks in hospital beginning in February after a bout of bronchitis developed into pneumonia.

His death was announced by the Vatican early Monday morning. He was 88.

Fought for those on the margins

Father Donald MacGillivray, chaplain at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., said he'll remember the Pope as a champion of the poor, marginalized and forgotten.

"I was very struck when on Holy Thursday … his first Easter, he went to a jail to wash the feet of prisoners," MacGillivray said. "That spoke volumes [about] what he was going to do and be as the leader of the church."

MacGillivray, who plans to mark Pope Francis's death at mass next Sunday, said many students who attended mass saw the pontiff as an apostle of hope and love. 

He also commended the Pope's willingness to reckon with past harms caused by the Catholic Church, including sexual abuse by clergy members, something the Antigonish diocese has dealt with first-hand.

"It's been a very painful time and I think … his leadership has helped us to be able to deal with that in a better way," said MacGillivray.

Dunn said he'd like to see the Catholic Church build on what Pope Francis was able to accomplish. 

"I think that's a really important legacy to have and a really important direction for the church," he said.