Bishop Barron reacts to death of Pope Francis, praises papacy marked by 'mercy and evangelization'

Bishop Robert Barron, a widely read Catholic commentator and author, paid tribute to Pope Francis for a papacy marked by "mercy and evangelization" after the news of his death on Monday.

Barron, who leads the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota and is the founder of the popular Catholic ministerial organization Word on Fire, praised Francis for recognizing the "destructiveness of sin."

"Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, has reached the end of his earthly pilgrimage," Bishop Barron wrote in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. "Pope Francis was a great pastor who spoke from the heart and with tender affection."

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"I had the pleasure of meeting with Pope Francis several times during his papacy," Bishop Barron continued. "On the occasions when he and I spoke, his comments would burn their way into my heart and mind. During a meeting with my fellow bishops, he reminded us that ‘the first task of a bishop is to pray.’" 

"Pope Francis’ papacy was marked by two master themes: mercy and evangelization," Barron wrote. "In an interview, he famously remarked that the Church is a field hospital to those wounded by our postmodern, relativistic society. It must, first and foremost, heal the wounds. Pope Francis had a keen awareness of the destructiveness of sin, and he encouraged the Church to show the world the merciful face of Christ. He also emphasized the importance of our personal witness to the light of faith, drawing others to the life-giving joy of the Gospel."

Barron concluded by calling on Christians to join him in "praying for the repose of his soul."

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"At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church," Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo, announced on Monday. 

This announcement comes after Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger, spent 38 days in Rome's Gemelli hospital starting on Feb. 14 to treat a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia.

Francis, who was born in Argentina, was elected pope in 2013 and served just over 12 years until his death on Monday at age 88. He was the first pope ever from the Americas and the first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years.

Fox News' Caitlin McFall, Emma Colton and Chris Massaro contributed to this report.