Francis ‘Gave Himself’ Till Last Day – Funeral Homily

Vatican City: Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, paid tribute to Pope Francis’s spirit of sacrifice in his homily at the late pontiff’s funeral in St Peter’s Square on Saturday. “Despite his final fragility and suffering, Pope Francis chose to walk the path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life,” Re said as he presided over the funeral.

According to Ansa News Agency, Cardinal Re highlighted how Pope Francis followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the good Shepherd, who loved his sheep to the point of giving his own life for them. Re emphasized that Francis carried out his duties with strength and serenity, remaining close to his flock, the Church of God.

Pope Francis made an appearance in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, the day before he died aged 88 on Monday. Cardinal Re noted that the gathering was a spiritual union with all of Christendom, as many attended to pray for Pope Francis, hoping that God would receive him with love.

Re recalled how Pope Francis often concluded his speeches and personal meetings with a request for prayers. “Now, dear Pope Francis, we ask you to pray for us,” Re said, expressing a desire for the late Pope to bless the Church, Rome, and the entire world from heaven, just as he had done from the balcony of the Basilica in his final public moment.