The people of Kerry have been urged to remember the life and ministry of the late Pope Francis with gratitude and to reflect on his message to never give up on anyone for there is good in everyone.
At a Mass to mark the passing of the pontiff, held in Killarney’s in St Mary’s Cathedral, principal celebrant, Bishop Ray Browne, said it was a sad but truly special occasion and Pope Francis should be remembered for the example he gave and the simple life he led.
He said the native of Argentina opted for a low-key existence, opting to reside in the Casa Santa Maria, as opposed to the Vatican Palace, and he chose an everyday Ford Focus as his preferred mode of transport when travelling around the Vatican.
“He liked to keep it as simple as possible. He lived where others lived and dined where others dined. That’s how his life has been,” Bishop Browne said.
Reflecting on what Pope Francis had stood for, he said he considered all wars to be a failure of humans to relate well to each other. He was a great worker for peace, he was determined to help the poor and sought ways to help to bring an end to poverty.
“He also had a realisation of the real plight of migrants. He wanted believers in Christ to have joy in their hearts and to share that joy with others,” said the bishop who was joined on the altar by Bishop Emeritus Bill Murphy, Monsignor Dan O’Riordan, Canon Tom Looney, Killarney Parish Administrator Fr Kieran O’Brien, Fr Kevin Sullivan, Fr Paddy O’Donoghue, Fr Vitalis Barasa and the bishop’s secretary Fr Nicholas Flynn.
Bishop Browne said Pope Francis wanted to help every parishioner to have a voice in the community and he insisted that every Christian was worth listening to and had to be valued.
He said it sums up the pope’s life that even in the final days and hours of his illness, when he was visibly weakening, he visited a prison to pray with prisoners and he found the strength to give a final blessing to pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
Advertisers: Get your message to thousands of people every day. Call 087-2229761 or email news@killarneytoday.com
