As the first Argentinian to be elected to the papacy, the climb of Pope Francis was particularly important in Latin America.
For millions of Argentines, the deceased pope was both a figure of controversy and a spiritual guideline, his extraordinary life reflecting the tumultuous history of his nation.
The news of her death sparked a wave of sorrow, because the faithful of Argentina and all of Latin America meet to commemorate his life with special mass services.
In the small and impoverished district of Barrio 21 in Buenos Aires, the Pope's heritage is deeply personal.
The district houses the parish of Virgen de Cacupé, where the pontiff began his pastoral mission as Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
There, Francis devoted himself to the service of the most vulnerable communities of Argentina, launching the foundations for his inheritance of humility, inclusion and service.
The parishioners – among them long -standing residents, groups of young people and religious leaders – gathered to honor the Pope not only as a global spiritual leader, but as a local mentor whose compassion and faith have touched countless lives.
“He was such a deeply positive leader for us – he left us a tag, a light to guide our way,” said Matías Guérrez, a boy -scolding of the parish.
Mass was rich in music, prayer and sincere emotion, while the united community has united to celebrate the memory of a spiritual leader whom they always call theirs.
The commemorations also took place elsewhere through the Latin American continent.
In Brazil, thousands of Catholic worshipers gathered at the National Sanctuary of Notre-Dame d'Apalecida to attend a solemn mass in honor of the late Pope.
Located in the city of Aparecida, the sanctuary is the largest Catholic church in Latin America and a powerful symbol of faith in Brazil, the most populous Catholic country in the world.
Pope Francis visited the site in 2013, celebrating mass there during his first international trip as a pontiff-an act which underlined both his deep devotion to Notre-Dame d'Apalecida and his lasting link with the Brazilian people.
Meanwhile, the non-apostolic non-Cas, the Vatican Embassy in Peru, lowered its flag to half the mast as a symbol of sorrow.
And in the Nazarenas church in the center of Lima, a mass was held to cry the death of the Pope.
ADVERTISEMENTA similar mass was celebrated on Monday at the Caracas cathedral, where the Archbishop of Caracas, Raúl Biord, expressed a mixture of sadness on the death and joy of the pope that she had occurred just after Easter. “There is no more beautiful day to die than Easter,” he said.
In Colombia, the faithful gathered for mass in Bogotá and Havana, the cathedral bells sounded on Monday morning to announce the death of the Pope. A mass took place at the Notre-Dame de Charité church in El Cobre.
