Pope Francis remembered those bishops and cardinals who have died throughout the course of this year with a special Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
It is an annual tradition which takes place in November, the month dedicated to praying for the dead. He reminded those present life is not stagnant, but always moving to the next stage.
POPE FRANCIS
“Life is all an exit: from the mother's womb to come to light; from childhood to enter adolescence, from adolescence to adult life and so on, until leaving this world. Today, while we pray for our brother cardinals and bishops, who have left this life to encounter the Risen One, we cannot forget the most important and most difficult exit, which gives meaning to all the others: that of ourselves.”
He encouraged everyone to go to God, especially when faced with fear of death.
POPE FRANCIS
Go to Jesus, the Living One, to get vaccinated against death, against the fear that everything will end. Go to Jesus. It may seem like a discounted and generic spiritual exhortation, but let's try to make it concrete by asking ourselves questions.
The questions he referenced are what the resurrection means personally and how each person is able to rise again in this life on the path toward God. This is marked by praying for those who are forgotten and helping those who are overlooked.
Melissa Butz
