Cardinal Sodano's love for Christ and His Church recalled at funeral Mass
By Christopher Wells
On Tuesday morning, the Church bid farewell to former Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano, at a Requiem Mass celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.
Pope Francis offered the final valediction at the conclusion of the liturgy, commending the soul of Cardinal Sodano to the mercy of Almighty God.
Six decades of service to the Holy See
In his homily during the Mass, Cardinal Re recalled Sodano’s seventy-one years of priesthood and over sixty years of service to the Holy See.
Cardinal Re noted that after being ordained in 1950, Sodano began his priestly service by teaching theology in the diocesan seminary and engaging in youth ministry.
The late cardinal entered the service of the Holy See in 1961, serving in nunciatures in Latin America during the Second Vatican Council and its immediate aftermath. Later, beginning in 1968, he was engaged in diplomatic work in Eastern Europe at the height of the Cold War.
Pope Paul VI named Sodano as Nuncio to Chile in 1977, investing him with the dignity of Archbishop. Some ten years later, he was recalled to Rome by Pope John Paul II, who appointed him Secretary for Relations with States. Just two years later, he was named Pro-secretary of state; a short time later, he was elevated to the Cardinalate and made Secretary of State, a position he held until 2006.
“May the angels lead you into paradise”
“Many of us were able to appreciate Cardinal Sodano up close,” said Cardinal Re, highlighting, the late cardinal’s “gifts of intellect and heart, his sensitivity to the pastoral aims of the Church's action in the world, his wisdom in assessing events and situations and his readiness to help, seeking appropriate solutions in every case.”
Commending Angelo Sodano’s soul to the mercy of Almighty God, Cardinal Re concluded his homily by inviting the faithful to make their own the Church’s prayer In Paradisum: “May the angels lead you into paradise / may the martyrs greet you at your arrival / and lead you into the holy city of Jerusalem.
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