- Cindy Wooden, Rome (CNS)
Praying for the dead and remembering them is not just remembering a loss, but is a sign of faith that, in the death and resurrection of Jesus, no one will be lost, and that at the end of life they will be together again. This is what Pope Leo XIV expressed to some 2,000 people who gathered on a path between the tombs for Mass in the Verano cemetery, and at the midday Angelus in St. Peter's Square.
“The Lord awaits us, and when we finally meet him at the end of our earthly journey, we will rejoice with him and with our loved ones who have gone before us,” the Pontiff added. “May this promise sustain us, dry our tears and lift our gaze toward hope in the future that never fades,” he said.
Upon arriving at the cemetery, he placed a bouquet of white roses on one of the graves, and at the end of the mass he blessed the graves with holy water before leading the traditional prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them”.
In the homily: “We continue to carry them in our hearts”.”
The Pope began his homily speaking of the loved ones buried in Verano. And he told those gathered that «we continue to carry them with us in our hearts, and their memory always remains alive within us in the midst of our daily lives.».
“Often,» he noted, “something brings them to mind and we recall experiences we shared with them. Many places, even the fragrance of our homes, speak to us of those we have loved and who have gone before us, keeping their memory alive for us.”.
Looking ahead, towards the goal
For those who believe that Jesus conquered death, the Pope said, “it is not so much a matter of looking back, but rather of looking forward, toward the goal of our journey, toward the safe harbor that God has promised us, toward the eternal banquet that awaits us.”.
“There, together with the Risen Lord and our loved ones, we hope to taste the joy of the eternal banquet,” he said.
Belief in eternal life, said the Pope, “is not an illusion to mitigate the pain of separation from our loved ones, but an illusion to ease the pain of separation from our loved ones," he said. loved ones, It is not mere human optimism. It is, instead, the hope founded on the Resurrection of Jesus, who has conquered death and has opened for us the way to the fullness of life”.
“Charity conquers death,” the Pope said.
At the Angelus: “Our heavenly Father forgets no one”.”
On the same day, the Pope led the Angelus prayer before thousands of pilgrims and faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square. He told them that he would go to the cemetery to celebrate Mass for all the faithful departed.
“In spirit, I will visit the graves of my loved ones”-her mother passed away in 1990 and her father in 1997-“and I will also pray for those who have no one to remember them. But our heavenly Father knows and loves each one of us, and He forgets no one!”.
Eternal life: an ocean of infinite love in which time no longer exists.
Citing Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Pope Leo XIII said that “eternal life” can be conceived not as “a succession of time without end. But as being so immersed in an ocean of infinite love in which time, before and after, no longer exists.”.
“That fullness of life and joy in Christ is what we hope for and await with our whole being,” Pope Leo said.
In praying for the dead, he stressed, it is not just a matter of remembering a loss, but a sign of faith that, in the death and resurrection of Jesus, no one will be lost.
Pope Leo prayed in this way: “May the familiar voice of Jesus reach us, and reach everyone, because it is the only one that comes from the future. May he call us by name, prepare a place for us, free us from that sense of helplessness that tempts us to give up on life.”.
Pray for North Darfur (Sudan) and Tanzania.
After praying the Angelus, the Pope said that he follows “with great sorrow the tragic news coming from Sudan, particularly from the city of El Fasher, in martyred North Darfur. Indiscriminate violence against women and children, attacks against defenceless civilians and serious obstacles to humanitarian action are causing unacceptable suffering to a population exhausted after long months of conflict”.
“Let us pray that the Lord welcomes the dead, sustains those who suffer and touches the hearts of those responsible. I reiterate my sincere appeal to the parties involved to declare a cease-fire and urgently open humanitarian corridors. Finally, I call on the international community to intervene decisively and generously, offering assistance and supporting those who are working tirelessly to provide humanitarian assistance.
Let us also pray for Tanzania, added Leo XIV, “where, after the recent political elections, there have been clashes that have caused numerous victims. I urge everyone to avoid all forms of violence and to follow the path of dialogue”.
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