By Patrick Downes

Saturday, April 2, dawned in Hawaii with all signs pointing to the pope’s passing as being imminent. Reports were that he was suffering from septic shock, a high fever, and was slipping in and out of consciousness. Nevertheless, most things around the diocese were proceeding as normal. Diocesan administrator Father Thomas Gross was at an East Honolulu parish concelebrating Mass for the 25th anniversary of a priest.

Then, at around 10 a.m., a television reporter called the chancery with the news. A check with the Catholic News Service website confirmed it. The pope had died. It was evening in Rome.

The rector of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace was immediately informed and he quickly went to the church to begin the tolling of bells — 84 times, once for every year of the Holy Father’s life.

Messages were left for Father Gross who was soon on his way to his chancery office to prepare to meet the television and print reporters who were already converging on the cathedral.

A brief statement by Father Gross on the death of the pope was faxed to Honolulu media newsrooms and the cathedral staff began preparations for turning the regular 5 p.m. Saturday vigil Mass into a special memorial Mass of John Paul II, to be celebrated by Father Gross.

The cathedral rector, Father John Berger, presided at the regularly scheduled noon Mass which became Honolulu’s first “unofficial” memorial liturgy for the deceased pontiff, attracting a larger than usual congregation and a number of TV cameras.

In his homily, Father Berger wove the seasonal message of Easter with a reflection on the witness of the pope’s life.

“He had a vision that carried him through his life,” the priest said of the late pontiff. “The world doesn’t have to be the same. People can be better. People can impact each other better.”

“He had a vision which came directly from his belief in the resurrection,” Father Berger said. “It ends in God having the last word, and that word is life itself.”

Mary Marivic, a parishioner at Sts. Peter and Paul in Honolulu, attended the cathedral’s noon Mass. “His death is a great loss,” she said. “He made a big impact on all people, even people of other faiths. It is a big loss to the whole world, not just to Catholics.

Cathedral parishioner Scott Aikau brought his three children to the noon liturgy. “To me, he was a leader — a moral leader —one of the best. One of his main missions was for peace. It is a sad loss, but I am happy he will be with Jesus.”

Joe Scallon, who attends St. Michael Parish and Sts Peter and Paul Mission on Oahu’s north shore, said the Pope John Paul showed that “one man can make a difference.”

“From him we learn that we can, too, if we just do our job,” he said. “Prayer does get answered. Don’t be discouraged because you are discouraged.”

By 1 p.m., Father Gross was in his fourth floor office at the chancery next door explaining to a group of reporters the effect the pope’s death will have on the church in Hawaii.

“Will the pope’s death mean a much longer delay in the appointment of a new bishop for the Diocese of Honolulu?” Father Gross answered that it probably would not be postponed any longer than the two to three weeks it takes to elect a new pope.

He said that he did not know how far the Vatican process (which is confidential) has progressed to replace former Honolulu Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo who was installed as Bishop of Richmond, Va., last May 24. However, he explained that it would usually not involve the pope until the end, when the pontiff would “sign off on it.”

If a selection is ready for the new pope’s signature, he could do that immediately, Father Gross said. The day before the pope died, the Vatican announced 18 new bishop appointments, apparently approved over the past six weeks. However, all were for positions outside the United States.

Father Gross, who was elected diocesan administrator on May 28, did say that a year-long wait for a new bishop is not necessarily unusual for a small to moderately sized diocese such as Honolulu.

“Will the pope’s death delay the May 15 date set for the beatification of Mother Marianne of Molokai?” Father Gross said he didn’t think so. The next pope should be in place “by the end of April” which would leave a sufficient window of a few weeks before he presided over the beatification.

Considering the logistics involved in such an enormous ceremony — nine others in addition to Mother Marianne are going to be beatified — “I would think that the pope would keep that commitment,” he said.

After the news conference, Father Gross used the few remaining hours before the 5 p.m. liturgy to write his homily. The liturgy began with another tolling of bells and the “call to worship” by Father Gross.

Introducing the Mass as a memorial for the deceased pope, he said, “For the goodness of his life, give thanks.”

In his opening prayer, Father Gross read lines reserved only for the death of a pope: “May our servant John Paul II, our pope, vicar of Peter and shepherd of our church, who faithfully administered the mysteries of your forgiveness and love on earth, rejoice with you for ever in heaven.”

In his homily, Father Gross said that the pope “believed so strongly in the power of the Holy Spirit, in the power of forgiveness, in the power of truth, and in the power of peace that world leaders could not ignore him.”

“He believed and valued the church’s teaching and fearlessly challenged those Catholic who tended to pick and choose the teachings that seemed to fit their lives,” he said. “He challenged them to open their hearts and form their consciences according to the law of Christ and the church.”

“Be not afraid, the Holy Father said when he became pope,” Father Gross continued. “Through these 26 years he taught us in word and deed the meaning of that phrase — that all who wholeheartedly open their lives to Christ and belong to him have nothing to fear in this world or the next.”

“May we love God and the church as much as he did,” he concluded. “May we love our fellow human beings as much as he did. May we love life as much as he did. May we embrace aging and illness as he did. Be not afraid.”

As the diocesan administrator spoke, his words were being recorded for evening newscasts and jotted into reporters’ notebooks for Sunday newspaper articles.

After Mass, the Hawaii Catholic Herald spoke to more people on the day’s somber news.

“It’s a loss for the world,” said Jack Sullivan. Fighting back tears, the Kailua-resident who works near the cathedral, continued, “He was a man with no borders; truly his goodness is immeasurable.”

Jill Ward said the pope’s world travels demonstrated his love for people. “He wasn’t just a pope on high, he really got out with the people,” she said. “He will be remembered for his kindness. He helped people and he promoted peace.”

Michael Beckette had similar thoughts. “He made people look at themselves,” he said. “He stood for peace. He stood up for people who were forgotten even when it was not popular.”

Cathedral worshippers then went their separate ways as the sun silently slipped below the horizon. Meanwhile in Rome, the sun was rising on the Second Sunday of Easter and an orphaned church.

Lisa Benoit contributed to this report.