He is not afraid to clearly say that Pope Francis’ strong message is in that “building bridges, not walls” who, starting from the Gospel, has marked his years of pontificates. Even if among those who listen to the homily of the dean of the Cardinal College, Giovan Battista Re, there is also Donald Trump that the walls don’t want to stop building them. Speaks of love for migrants, travels to Lampedusa and lesbian, but also of that mass celebrated precisely to border between Mexico and the United States, Where the hopes of many who seek a better life are broken. In the homily for the funeral of Pope Francis the Cardinal recalls the salient steps of these 12 years of pontificate. “The plebiscite of manifestations of affection and participation, which we have seen in these days after its transition from this land to eternity, tells us how much the intense pontificate of Pope Francis touched the minds and hearts,” says the dean.
“His last image, which will remain in our eyes and in our hearts”, continues, applied several times, “is that of last Sunday, solemnity of Easter, when Pope Francis, despite the serious health problems, wanted to give us the blessing from the balcony of the Basilica of San Pietro and then went down to this square to greet the whole large crowd from the papamobile discovery defendant for the Easter Mass ». Following Peter, to whom Jesus entrusted “the great mission:” Pasci my sheep “”, Francesco gave “a service of love in the wake of the master and Lord Christ who” had not come to be served, but to serve and give his life in redemption for everyone “. Despite his ending fragility and suffering, Pope Francis has chosen to travel this path of donation until the last day of his earthly life. He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the good shepherd, who loved his sheep until he gives them his own life. And he did it with force and serenity, close to his flock, the Church of God, mindful of the phrase of Jesus cited by the apostle Paul: “There is more joy in giving than in receiving” “.
The Cardinal recalls that, when Pope was elected on March 13, 2013, Bergoglio “had the years of religious life behind Jesus and above all was enriched by the experience of 21 years of pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, First as auxiliary, then as a coadjutor and later, above all, as Archbishop. The decision to take the name Francesco immediately appeared as the choice of a program and a style on which he wanted to set up his pontificate, trying to be inspired by the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi ».
Speaks of his temperament, of his strong personality, of «Direct contact with individual people and with populations, eager to be close to everyone, with strong attention to people in difficultyspending himself without measure, in particular for the last of the earth, the marginalized. He was a pope in the midst of people with an open heart to everyone. He was also a Pope attentive to the new that emerged in society and how much the Holy Spirit aroused in the Church ».
The helicopters fly over the square to guarantee security, the people pray and listen. “His charisma of welcome and listening”his forward -looking gaze that indicated not an era of change, but “a vintage change”, the primacy of evangelization to spread “the joy of the Gospel, which was the title of his first Apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. A joy that full of trust and hope the heart of all those who rely on God ». And again: «The belief that the Church is a house for everyone; A house with always open doors “, a” “field hospital” after a battle in which there were many injured; A church eager to take care with determination of the problems of people and great worries that tear the contemporary world; A church capable of bending over every man, beyond all creeds or condition, taking care of the wounds ».
In all “47 tiring apostolic journeys” and one who will remain in history: «The one in Iraq in 2021, accomplished by challenging all risk. That difficult apostolic visit was a conditioner on the open wounds of the Iraqi population, which had suffered so much for the inhuman work of ISIS. This was an important journey also for interreligious dialogue, another relevant dimension of his pastoral work, “says the dean.
“With the Apostolic Visit of 2024 to four nations of Asia-Oceania, the Pope reached “the most peripheral suburbs in the world”. Pope Francis has always put the Gospel of Mercy in the center, repeatedly emphasizing that God does not get tired of forgiving us: He always forgives whatever the situation of those who ask for forgiveness and returns to the right way “, recalls Cardinal King.” He wanted the extraordinary jubilee of mercy, highlighting that mercy is “the heart of the Gospel”. Mercy and joy of the Gospel are two keywords of Pope Francis ». Re recalls “The encyclical letter” brothers all “” with which “he wanted to revive a world aspiration to the fraternity, because all children of the same father who is in the skies. Strength has often remembered that we all belong to the same human family. In 2019, during the trip to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis signed a document on “human brotherhood for world peace and common coexistence”, recalling the common paternity of God ». And again “with the encyclical letter Laudato has drawn attention to duties and on co -responsibility towards the common house. “Nobody saves himself.” Faced with the infuriating of the many wars of these years, with inhuman horrors and with countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis has incessantly elevating his voice by implementing peace and inviting to reasonableness, to the honest negotiation to find possible solutions, because war – he said – is only death of people, destruction of houses, hospitals and schools. The war always leaves the worst world of how previously it was: it is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone ».
And finally, he concludes the homily, remembering that “Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings saying:” Don’t forget to pray for me “” and addressing him directly: «Dear Pope Francis, now we ask you to pray for us and that from the sky you bless the Church, blessing Rome, bless the whole worldlike last Sunday you did from the balcony of this basilica in a last embrace with all the people of God, but ideally also with humanity who seeks truth with a sincere heart and keeps the torch of hope high “.
