«We can say a lot about our pontiff, but we just say tonight that Pope Francis is a Christian who has done Easter. A Christian who has experienced great fear and joy, dedicating himself to supporting the faith and perseverance of his brothers and sisters». So the archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpinirecalled the Holy Father during the suffrage mass, held on Tuesday 22 April at 17.30 in the Duomo. The function, in addition to hundreds of faithful, also took part in the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala and the president of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana.
“Since yesterday there is an immense emotional impact for the death of Pope Francis. Analysis and experience of experience have been made and shares. Today we commemorate the figure of the Pope and his pontificate. We are here to put into practice the word that the Pope said several times: “Pray for me”. We therefore pray for him and we ask the Scriptures to teach us to listen and to celebrate even now the Easter, whom Francesco celebrated on Sunday and accomplished yesterday », underlined Monsignor Delpini at the beginning of the mass. During the celebration the glass that Pope Francis had donated to the former archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Angelo Scola, on March 25, 2017, was used.
Then the Archbishop continued his time of recollection during the homily and underlined how the deceased Pontiff always uttered his word in the name of the Gospel. “The Pope as a prophet stubbornly invoked peace. He proposed a particular lifestyle, with great attention to the poorest. He gave voice to those who did not have it and still doesn’t have it. And for this many have considered him annoying and irritating ».
The “Christian who made Easter” was the central theme of Delpini’s homily: “The Christian who made Easter feels the unlikely and indispensable joy of a meeting, the one with Jesus. A meeting that saves and rassicurto. The Christian knows fear, because he knows he is in front of something too big. He sees inadequacy in his words and wonders if he will be able to communicate this meeting. The Christian lives with great joy, but at the same time takes care of the fragility of his brothers and sisters. The Christian who made Easter recognizes the gifts that enrich the community. The Christian feels the responsibility for reassuring others. The Christian insists and is tenacious up to obstinacy and does everything to support his brothers. Finally, the Christian is irritating because he announces Jesus and the resurrection of the dead. The Christian disturbs because he brings a disconcerting and mysterious message ».
