Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, head of the College of Cardinals, delivered the homily for Pope Francis during the mourning ceremony, which took place in "St. Peter" Square in the Vatican. The cardinal recalled that Pope Francis was a pope of the people, a shepherd who knew how to communicate with "the least among us", adopting an informal, spontaneous style, the Associated Press reported, BTA writes.
Cardinal Re emphasized that the pope was "among those who opened their hearts to everyone", the world agencies added.
He recalled that the last memory that many people will keep of Francis is the one in which he gives a blessing on Easter, which turned out to be his last. After that, the pope greeted the faithful from the popemobile in the same square where the funeral mass for him is being celebrated today, the cardinal recalled.
Giovanni Battista Re also reminded of the pope's support for refugees and migrants. "Pope Francis' gestures and appeals in support of refugees and displaced people were countless", the cardinal stressed, to the applause of the crowd, in his homily at the funeral of the Argentine Jesuit, reported Agence France-Presse.
"His insistence on working for the poor was also constant", the cardinal added, stressing that it was "significant" that Pope Francis' first trip was to the Italian island of Lampedusa, which has become a symbol of the migration tragedy and the thousands of migrants who have drowned at sea.
"The Pope never stopped making appeals for peace, calling for "reason and honest negotiations to find possible solutions", the cardinal also recalled.
These words of his were applauded by those gathered in the square multitude.
In his homily, the cardinal recalled that Pope Francis immediately marked the governance of the Church with his strong personality, establishing direct contacts with individuals and with peoples, demonstrating a desire to be close to everyone, paying special attention to people in difficulty, sparing no effort, especially for those who were excluded from the rest and defenseless, ANSA reported.
“Despite his extreme fragility and suffering, Pope Francis chose to walk this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life“, said Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.
“He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd, who loved his flock to the point of giving his own life for them. And he did it with strength and calmness,” the cardinal said.
“In spiritual unity with the entire Christian world, we are here, numerous, to pray for Pope Francis, so that God may welcome him into the immensity of his love. Pope Francis liked to end his speeches and personal meetings with the words: “Don't forget to pray for me“, the cardinal recalled.
He said that now the Christian world turns to the pope, who is already in heaven, to call on him to bless the Church, Rome, the whole world, as he did last week from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica for Easter. In his speech, the cardinal recalled that the pope's last blessing was given last week with the humanity of one who seeks the truth with sincerity in his heart and who holds high the torch of hope.