Pope Francis remembered as unifying force in rapidly changing world
Pope Francis was remembered on Saturday as a unifying force, a leader who "sought to shed light on the problems of our time with the wisdom of the Gospel."
"Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today's challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalization," Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said in a liturgy during Francis' funeral.
Battista Re added, "He gave of himself by comforting and encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people's hearts in a direct and immediate way."
The cardinal praised Francis for giving himself to the church up until his final full day, when he appeared during an Easter celebration to bless the faithful who had gathered at the Vatican.
Francis maintained a "temperament and form of pastoral leadership" throughout his years leading the church, Battista Re said. And he was "guided by the light of faith" as he encouraged everyone -- from world leaders to the leagues of faithful -- to "live as Christians amid the challenges and contradictions in recent years, which he loved to describe as an 'epochal change.'"
"Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions," Battista Re said.
He added, "War, [Francis] said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse than it was before: It is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone."
