Gloria in Excelsis Deo: Giving Glory for a Servant of Peace
Offered by The Most Right Reverend Kashif Alexander
Church of Miracles and Celtic Cross Pakistan
The Celtic Cross Communion
On the Occasion of His Passing into Eternal Life – April 21, 2025
Beloved in Christ,
We gather today in solemn prayer and
sacred remembrance, united with the whole Church across the world, to mourn the
passing and to give thanks for the life and ministry of His Holiness Pope
Francis, the 266th Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Christ on earth, who has
entered into eternal rest on the 21st day of April, in the Year of Our Lord
2025.
In his earthly pilgrimage, our Holy
Father bore faithful witness to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. With
humility and grace, he shepherded the flock of God, calling the Church to
deeper mercy, greater compassion, and a renewed commitment to the least of
these—our brothers and sisters most in need.
“His humility, courage, and
unwavering defense of human dignity were a radiant sign of Christ’s presence
among us,” said Arch Bishop Kashif Alexander. “He stood with the poor, gave voice to
the voiceless, and proclaimed the Gospel not only in word, but in the very way
he lived. In his care for creation, in his call to peace and reconciliation,
and in his embrace of the outcast, Pope Francis reminded the world of God’s
boundless love.”
Called from Buenos Aires to Rome,
from the peripheries to the center of the Church, Pope Francis carried out his
Petrine ministry with the heart of a servant and the soul of a pilgrim. He
called the faithful to go forth—beyond walls, beyond fear, beyond division—and
to walk together in synodality, guided by the Holy Spirit.
As we entrust his soul to the eternal embrace of the Father, we do so with hearts full of thanksgiving. In the sure and certain hope of the resurrection, we pray:
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace. Amen.
May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy
of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Arch Bishop Kashif concluded his tribute
with these words of hope and exhortation:
“May the legacy of Pope Francis
inspire us to be faithful disciples of Christ. May we continue his work of
reconciliation, his pursuit of justice, and his prophetic witness to the love
of God. And may we, with him and all the saints, await the joyful coming of the
Kingdom, where every tear shall be wiped away, and all things made new.”
Let us go forth in peace, carrying
the light of Christ, and honoring the memory of our beloved shepherd.
Comments
Post a Comment