ATLANTA — As funeral arrangements are being made for Pope Francis in Rome, Georgians are remembering his impact on their lives.
Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and the Rev. Dr. Bernice King told Channel 2’s Karyn Greer that they will always remember their private audience with Pope Francis, where the pontiff asked them to pray for him.
“I traveled to Rome, Italy. Some folks had made arrangements for me to have a private audience with the pope,” King said. “I saw him again in St. Peter’s Square. I was a special guest of the Vatican. And when I went to greet him, I said, ‘I’ve been praying for you.’ He said, ‘I remember.’ And I was so touched that he remembered me.”
Pope Francis had an impact on people of all religions, not just Catholics.
Warnock remembers his private meeting a year ago with the man he admired.
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Warnock is the head of the historic church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached -- Ebenezer Baptist Church.
“We had a lovely meeting together; I’ll never forget it. We ended it by praying together. He had a sense of humor, too. He said, ‘Pray I want you to pray first,’ and he said, ‘I want you to pray for me and not against me,’” Warnock said.
King said she hopes the legacy of Pope Francis to care for the poor and disenfranchised will continue.
“There’s going to be such a void. And hopefully, the person who fills those shoes as the next pope will be able to continue in that spirit of love senate, compassionate, really amongst the people. Because that’s what we need now more than ever,” King said.
Neither are planning to attend the papal funeral, but they are hoping Pope Francis’ courageous voice won’t be silenced and that his message of inclusion continues with whoever is chosen as the next leader of the catholic church.,
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