Vatican City, Nov 3, 2018 / 06:00 am
In a Mass offered for the repose of the souls of bishops and cardinals who died this year, Pope Francis prayed for "the intercession of all those who lived unassuming lives, content to prepare daily to meet the Lord."
"The secret to life is to live to serve," Pope Francis said in St. Peter's Basilica Nov. 3.
Nine cardinals and 154 bishops have died since November 2017, including Cardinal Bernard Law, the former archbishop of Boston, and Cardinal Karl Lehmann, who led the German bishops' conference for 20 years.
"Instead of our outward appearance that passes away, we should purify and keep custody of our heart, our inner self, which is precious in the eyes of God," the pope said in his homily.