Cathedral of Saint Peter hosts tribute to Pope Francis

The Cathedral of St. Peter in Jackson held a memorial Mass on Monday to honor Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 from a cerebral stroke.

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope, was born in Argentina in 1936 and was known for his progressive views within the Catholic Church. State leaders, including Gov. Tate Reeves, U.S. Rep. Michael Guest, and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, have expressed their condolences.

"He just epitomizes the struggles that every human has, and then how all of us ought to treat each other and how we ought to treat our fellow men and women as each of them has their struggles in life and we are to recognize those and help every single one when we can, how we can," said Hosemann, a lifelong Catholic.

Christopher Payne, principal of Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School, reflected on the legacies of both Pope Francis and Sister Thea Bowman.

"Both of them were pioneers in their own right, Pope Francis came in wanting to see a new vision within the Catholic Church, and Sister Thea Bowman came in wanting to change how race was viewed within the Catholic community," said Payne.

The period of mourning will continue in the Vatican in the coming days until a new pope is elected.