ROMA (ITALPRESS) – The funeral of Cardinal Camillo Ruini, who died last June 16 at the age of 95, took place in St. Peter’s Basilica. To preside over the funeral was Pope Leo XIV, who in his homily recalled the cardinal as a “saint pastor”, protagonist of a long season of the life of the Italian Church and point of reference for generations of faithful.
During the celebration, the Pontiff retraced the ministry of Cardinal Ruini, recalling his ecclesial, cultural and civil commitment, and underlining the value of his testimony of faith. Pope Leo XIV also recalled the episcopal motto of the cardinal, “The truth will make you free”, indicating it as an effective synthesis of his Christian vision and service to the Church. Numerous religious, political and institutional authorities present in the Vatican Basilica. Among these Pier Ferdinando Casini, Andrea Riccardi, Maurizio Gasparri, Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi and former President of the Romano Prodi Council. Representative of the Government took part in the celebration the undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council, Alfredo Mantovano. The current president of the Cei and archbishop of Bologna Matteo Zuppi, Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vicar of Rome Baldo Reina.
“Let us entrust to the mercy of the Lord our brother Cardinal Camillo Ruini, a wise shepherd and raised in the flock of Christ – Pope Leo points out in his homily, – For many years he served the Church, carrying out with the same dedication the most humble and the most serious tasks of responsibility that the Lord wanted to entrust to him, as a priest, bishop and cardinal, in teaching, in study, in theological study, in pastoral service, in the soul.
To him, the Pontiff adds, he owes a lot “the Italian Church, which served for 17 years as president of the Cei and the leader of the Diocese of Rome, in which for as long as he played the role of vicar of the Holy Father. He led the people of God and the brothers of the episcopate in important and delicate moments, facing with enthusiasm, ferment and courage many challenges. He must be intuition and initiatives that have left a profound mark on the journey of the ecclesial community and also in the civil community: we think of the commitment to promote the contribution of the Catholic world in the most diverse areas of religious, civil and Italian politics. We also think of the great work of the diocesan synod and its application here in Rome and its active and dialogue presence at the various levels of the life of the Church, of the secular world and of society: we entrust it to the arms of the heavenly father and let us be enlightened by the word of God”.
Ruini, Pope Leo XIV concludes, “has had the grace of knowing personally some great Saints of recent times, such as Paul VI and John Paul II, and working with them: for many years he has been a collaborator of Pope Wojtyla. I think that from the example of unity and life of the great pontiff the cardinal has been able to draw so much: in him we can find many of the traits with which he describes the Holy Pope. I think that such a consonance of feelings can also animate us on our journey. His words ‘the truth will make us free’ summarize the profound conception of person and freedom that Christ has revealed to us and that the Church teaches us: we are made for truth and good, only in this we find peace, unity and full realization in earthly life and eternity”.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
