Cardinal Re at Requiem Mass: Pope Francis, a shepherd of the folks

[ad_1] In his homily on the Requiem Mass for Pope Francis, the Dean of the School of Cardinals remembers the highlights of his intense and prophetic 12 years of hold forth marked by his closeness to the folks, particularly the least and the final amongst us, and his deep love for the Church open to everybody.

By Lisa Zengarini

Over 200 thousand of individuals from all walks of life poured into St. Peter’s Sq. and the adjoining areas on Saturday morning to bid their ultimate farewell to Pope Francis at his Requiem Mass.

The Solemn and shifting celebration was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re joined by some 250 Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, clergymen, and consecrated non secular.

In his homily, the Dean of the School of Cardinals delved into the various highlights of his outstanding and intense 12 years of Petrine Ministry marked by his type of closeness to the folks and spontaneity of his gestures till the very finish, however most significantly, his deep love for the Church.

A Pope that touched minds and hearts of many Thanking all these current and increasing his greetings to the quite a few Heads of State, Heads of Authorities and Official Delegations from internationally attending the Mass, Cardinal Re famous that the outpouring witnessed on this week of mourning tells rather a lot on how a lot the hold forth of Pope Francis “touched minds and hearts” of many individuals, not solely throughout the Church.

The great shepherd near his folks till the very finish Referencing the Gospel passage the place Christ fees Peter with shepherding His flock, Cardinal Re remarked that “Regardless of his frailty and struggling in direction of the top, Pope Francis selected to comply with this path of self-giving till the final day of his earthly life,” during which he “adopted within the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd”

“The ultimate picture we've got of him, which can stay etched in our reminiscence, is that of final Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, regardless of his critical well being issues, needed to offer us his blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica. He then got here right down to this Sq. to greet the massive crowd gathered for the Easter Mass whereas driving within the open-top Popemobile.”

He recalled how his resolution to take the title Francis “instantly appeared to point the pastoral plan and magnificence on which he needed to base his hold forth, searching for inspiration from the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi.”

Open to everybody and attentive to the indicators of the occasions Along with his temperament and type of pastoral management, and thru his resolute persona, stated Cardinal Re, “he instantly made his mark on the governance of the Church.”

“He was a Pope among the many folks”, with an open coronary heart in direction of everybody, particularly the marginalised, the least amongst us, however “additionally a Pope attentive to the indicators of the occasions and what the Holy Spirit was awakening within the Church.”

Along with his attribute vocabulary and language, he all the time sought to make clear the issues of our time, with the knowledge of the Gospel, encouraging Christians to dwell out their religion amid these challenges and contradictions, which he preferred to explain as an “epochal change."

Evangelisation central to Pope Francis' imaginative and prescient Evangelisation, Cardinal Re defined, remained central to his imaginative and prescient, most notably expressed in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. His picture of the Church as a “discipline hospital” characterised a Church actively partaking with the world’s wounds. His outreach to migrants and refugees, exemplified by the visits to Lampedusa, Lesbos, and the US-Mexico border, was deeply symbolic of his solidarity with the struggling.

“His gestures and exhortations in favour of refugees and displaced individuals are numerous. His insistence on engaged on behalf of the poor was fixed.”

Amongst his 47 Apostolic Journeys, Cardinal Re highlighted his go to to Iraq, which, he stated, stood out as each a “pastoral balm” and a name for interreligious dialogue.

His world travels typically introduced him to locations of deep want and battle, culminating in his 2024 go to to the Asia-Oceania area, which prolonged the Church’s presence to the farthest peripheries.

His relentless emphasis on mercy Cardinal Re additionally highlighted Pope Francis’ relentless emphasis on mercy—centred in his declaration of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016—and his persistent advocacy for a “tradition of encounter” towards the prevailing “throwaway tradition.”

His name for human fraternity, notably in his Encyclical ‘Fratelli tutti’ and the 2019 Abu Dhabi joint Declaration on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Dwelling Collectively, underscored his need for world solidarity and peace.

A daring voice for peace Environmental stewardship, expressed within the Encyclical 'Laudato si’', Cardinal Re proceed, additional widened the scope of his ethical management, stressing the interconnectedness of all creation and our shared accountability for the planet.

In occasions of world violence and battle, Francis’ voice stood out as certainly one of peace, all the time insisting that “battle is a defeat for humanity”.

Cardinal Re's phrases on the Pope's efforts and appeals for world peace drew huge applause from the crowds current.

Pope Francis, pray for us from heaven! The homily closed on a young be aware, invoking the acquainted phrases with which Pope Francis all the time ended his audiences and conferences: “Don't forget to wish for me.”

With extra applause rising from these current, Cardinal Re stated now, as Pope Francis rests in God's embrace, the devoted reverse that request, asking their beloved Pope to intercede for the Church, for Rome, and the entire world from heaven.

“Pricey Francis, we now ask you to wish for us. Could you bless the Church, bless Rome, and bless the entire world from heaven as you probably did final Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a ultimate embrace with all of the folks of God, but additionally embrace humanity that seeks the reality with a honest coronary heart and holds excessive the torch of hope.”