Vatican City, Sep 27, 2021 / 12:00 pm
Pope Francis expressed his sorrow Monday at the death of a Brazilian cardinal who was “passionate about evangelization.”
The pope paid tribute to Cardinal José Freire Falcão, the emeritus archbishop of Brasília, in a telegram issued Sept. 27, the day after the 95-year-old cardinal died of COVID-19 complications.
In a message to Archbishop Paulo Cezar Costa, the current archbishop of Brasília, the pope said: “I entrust the beloved cardinal to the mercy of God, remembering his precious collaboration in the different organisms of the Holy See and my meetings with this pastor who was passionate about evangelization.”
He added that Falcão was “solicitous in putting the gifts received from the Lord at the service of the People of God and his brother bishops.”