Vatican City (Vatican), April 26 (LaPresse) – "In this majestic St. Peter’s Square, where Pope Francis so often celebrated the Eucharist and presided over great gatherings during these 12 years, we are gathered in prayer around his mortal remains, our hearts saddened but sustained by the certainties of faith, which assure us that human existence does not end in the tomb but continues in the Father's house in a life of everlasting happiness. On behalf of the College of Cardinals, I warmly thank all of you for your presence. With deep feeling, I extend a respectful greeting and heartfelt thanks to the Heads of State, Heads of Government, and official Delegations who have come from many countries to express affection, veneration, and esteem toward the Pope who has left us.
The overwhelming display of affection and participation that we have witnessed these days after his passage from this life to eternity shows how Pope Francis’s intense Pontificate touched minds and hearts."
Thus spoke Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, during the homily of the funeral Mass of Pope Francis underway in St. Peter’s Square.
© Copyright LaPresse
