One year after Pope Francis' death, Archbishop Luigi Travaglino presides at Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, the former residence of the late Pope.
By Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik “Now is not the time to dwell on the course of his daily life, made here of work and meetings and prayer in the small chapel on the second floor. I am sure that Pope Francis grew fond of this house, and we grew fond of him. Such remains the spirit of our prayer of suffrage in this first year of his passing. We still feel him close to us.” Cardinal Angelo Acerbi expressed this in the homily read by Archbishop Luigi Travaglino, who presided at the Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis. In the text of his homily, Cardinal Acerbi recalled that despite physical challenges, Pope Francis kept great momentum as Successor of Peter. “I only wish to recall the apostolic courage with which he faced the years of his pontificate, even when, despite his physical limitations, he wanted to carry out his apostolic mission to the farthest ends of the earth.” “Let us also turn our thoughts to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where Pope Francis wished to be buried next to the Chapel of Mary ‘Salus Populi Romani,’ to which he would go before and after each of his apostolic journeys and which surely welcomed him at the end of his life,” added Archbishop Travaglino. The commemorations in memory of the late Pope Francis continue throughout Tuesday, April 21. In the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, at 5:00 PM, there will be a Rosary recited, followed by a Mass of suffrage presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.