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The final farewell

This morning 200,000 faithful from all over the world gathered to bid farewell to Pope Francis. Among the authorities in the front row before the papal canopy the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Fra’ John T. Dunlap led an official delegation composed of the Grand Commander, Fra’ Emmanuel Rousseau, the Grand Chancellor, Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, the Grand Hospitaller Josef D. Blotz, and the Receiver of the Common Treasure Fabrizio Colonna.

In his homily, the Dean of the Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, recalled Pope Francis’ tireless commitment to peace, social justice and the inclusion of the marginalised: “The guiding thread of his mission was also the conviction that the Church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open. He often used the image of the Church as a “field hospital” after a battle in which many were wounded; a Church determined to take care of the problems of people and the great anxieties that tear the contemporary world apart; a Church capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds.”

Grand Master Fra’John Dunlap: “The Order of Malta has always received the support and closeness of the Holy Father in its service to the sick and the most vulnerable. It is our duty, today more than ever, to give thanks for His Pontificate and to pray that the Lord will grant Him the reward promised to faithful servants.”