For 22 years, he communicated official information to the Vatican, so it's only fitting that now many people, including the Vatican, has come to say their 'goodbyesâ? to Joaquín Navarro-Valls (1936-2017).
A side chapel in the Basilica of St. Eugenio in Rome was filled with family and friends who came to pray and remember the life of John Paul II's spokesman, who was known for always smiling.
FRANCES D'EMILIO
AP Journalist
'He always had a sense of humor, at least to me, and you could count on that.â?
TRISHA THOMAS
AP Journalist
'You could always see how much he adored John Paul II. They were truly close. There was a real adoration there.â?
CARD. TARCISIO BERTONE
'He was a specialist in evangelization which was the focus of the communication. He was a communicator of the Word of God, of the pope's word, and of the life of the Church in its strength of its positive resources for the transformation of the world.'
LINA PETRI
Holy See Press Office
'Much of my professional life in the Press Office was with him. I will always be grateful to him because he helped me grow from a human point of view and a professional point of view.â?
RAFAEL NAVARRO-VALLS
Joaquín Navarro-Valls' brother
'He was an extraordinarily strong man, extraordinarily brave and extraordinarily intelligent. All of these three things formed a real leader.â?
MSGR. MARIANO FAZIO
Vicar General of Opus Dei
'For me to preside over the funeral is, on the one hand, something typical for our family of Opus Dei. Opus Dei is a family and now that the Prelate is not in Rome, I am in a certain sense the father of this family and therefore I gladly do it with all my heart. I'm very moved because I really loved him very much.â?
As Navarro-Valls was a member of Opus Dei, Vicar General Mgsr. Mariano Fazio, will celebrate Navarro-Valls' funeral Mass at the Basilica of St. Eugenio on Friday morning at 11 a.m., Rome local time.
In times like this, many chose to smile with happy memories, instead of cry about the fact that he's gone. One thing is for sure, the Vatican has lost a great friend and professional, who was trusted with some of the most valuable news conveyed by the Holy See.
