“Pope Francis always placed the Gospel of mercy at the center, repeatedly emphasizing that God never tires of forgiving us. […] The primacy of evangelization has been the guiding principle of his pontificate, spreading the joy of the Gospel with a clear missionary imprint, which was the title of his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii gaudium. A joy that fills the hearts of all who entrust themselves to God with confidence and hope.” With these words, Cardinal Re recalled some aspects of Pope Francis’ pontificate during his homily at the funeral Mass, which we attended together as members of the Dicastery.
Already on the morning of April 24, a delegation from our Dicastery went to St. Peter’s Basilica to pray and bid farewell to Pope Francis. It was a moment of profound recollection and prayer, a sign of filial affection and spiritual communion on the part of those who, through their service in the Roman Curia, share the journey with the Successor of Peter and his concern for consecrated life in the world.
On these occasions, we held in our hearts all the consecrated men and women around the world, many of whom, living outside Rome, were unable to come in person to express their affection and gratitude to God for the gift of Pope Francis’ life.