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Governor orders flags to be flown at half-staff, says Pope Francis ‘embodied values that resonate deeply with New Mexicans’
Pope Francis greets Archbishop of Santa Fe Michael Sheehan on March 26, 2014, in Rome.
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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday ordered flags to be flown at half-staff across New Mexico, as she and others in a heavily populated Catholic state mourn the death of Pope Francis.
The pope, elected in 2013 to the papacy, died at 88 on Monday. In her statement, the governor said Francis “embodied values that resonate deeply with New Mexicans — compassion for the marginalized, dignity for the forgotten, and grace extended to all.”
About 63% of New Mexican adults identify as Christian, according to the Pew Research Center. Of those, 27% are Catholic.
“Pope Francis called for ‘a humble, more merciful and inclusive church’ that would reach out to the peripheries of society,” Lujan Grisham said. “His ministry touched countless lives, including many in New Mexico, where his message of inclusion resonated across our diverse communities.”
President Donald Trump also ordered flags to be flown at half-staff Monday.
