Hundreds gather at Hamilton Cathedral to honour life, legacy of Pope Francis

About 200 people gathered at the Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King Wednesday for a mass dedicated to honour the life and legacy of Pope Francis who passed away earlier this week at the age of 88.

Prayers, the singing of hymns and scripture readings could be heard at Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King, near Dundurn and King Street West, as mourners came together to show their respect.

Bishop Douglas Crosby led the service commemorating the pontiff’s contribution to the Catholic church over the past 12 years.

Monsignor Murray Kroetsch described Wednesday’s mass as lovely.

“Bishop Crosby, I know, has known him and has visited him on several occasions and he always speaks to us about the genuineness of Pope Francis and his real pastoral zeal and very warm affection for all the people” said Kroetsch.

On Easter Monday, the late Pope Francis passed away from a stroke, which led to a coma and ultimately an irreversible heart failure.

READ MORE : Pope Francis dies at 88, remembered for progressive legacy

Mourners say Pope Francis will be remembered for his humility and his commitment to social justice.

“He brought peace and reconciliation to many of our indigenous people and that work continues and will continue for sure” Kroetsch said.

“His work on promoting  sodality and the changes that have started to begin in that development of that way of living as a church, they’re well-established and I don’t think there’s any going back there, we can only go forward on that, and that’s going to really bring about this unity of everybody that he has prayed for and worked so diligently for” said Kroetsch.

The body of Pope Francis is lying in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, where it will remain for three days until his funeral Saturday.