Memorial held for the late Pope Francis in Johannesburg

Catholic church members gathered at the Regina Mundi Catholic Church in Johannesburg South Africa on Wednesday for a mass to pay tribute to the late Pope Francis.

With May 1 considered a holiday in South Africa, members of the Catholic community came to pay their respects to the pontiff.

The memorial was followed by a series of speeches and tributes from Archbishops and members of the Catholic community.

A tree was also planted to honor and remember the late Pope Francis.

Dr. Sheila Leocádia Pires, communications officer for the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) said she hopes the next pontiff will continue the legacy of Pope Francis.

“Whether we have a Black pope or an Asian pope or a European pope, what we want is just somebody that will continue that legacy of Pope Francis of promoting peace,” she said.

Reverend Mzwandile Molo, General Secretary at the South African Council of Churches (SACC) said “His Holiness Pope Francis calls us together in this memorial to thank God for a life of love for the poor.”

"We choose to honor and remember Pope Francis because he is one given by God to challenge the church and reconnect the church to its mission.”

If the next pope is from sub-Saharan Africa, he would be the first in Catholic Church history.

Catholic Africans think it is a long shot, though some are cautiously optimistic that Pope Francis’ successor could be a Black cardinal from their continent.

The answer will come soon, as the cardinals eligible to elect the new pope open their conclave next Wednesday at the Sistine Chapel.