CNA Staff, Apr 21, 2025 / 08:40 am (CNA).
EWTN Chairman of the Board and CEO Michael Warsaw on Monday mourned the passing of Pope Francis, calling the pontiff’s death at 88 on Monday a “moment of personal grief for Catholics around the world.”
“Together with our entire EWTN family, I mourn his passing and join the Church in prayers for the repose of his soul,” Warsaw said in a statement. EWTN is the parent company of CNA.
Warsaw said he was “privileged to be able to meet Pope Francis a number of times throughout the years” and was “always struck by his kindness and good humor in our encounters.”
“As Catholics, we thank God for the life and pontificate of Pope Francis, and in particular for his tireless advocacy for those on the peripheries,” Warsaw said.
Warsaw noted that EWTN in the coming days will air programming “to honor Pope Francis’ life and legacy as well as coverage of the many devotions and Masses from the Vatican, including the Holy Father’s funeral Mass.”
“We invite our global audience to join us in this period of mourning,” he said. “May God have mercy on his servant and grant him eternal rest.”
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Michael Warsaw is a bit melodramatic. And, besides, how can he possibly aver that this is a moment of grief for Catholics? Does Michael pretend to divine the emotional state of every Catholic such that he can make such a sweeping statement?