Vatican City, May 10, 2010 / 16:03 pm
For he who is without faith, death would be mean the loss of everything, said Pope Benedict during the eulogy for the late Cardinal Luigi Poggi. For the Christian, he continued, hope in resurrection brightens and gives meaning to every moment of our lives.
Cardinal Poggi's funeral Mass at St. Peter's Basilica on Friday afternoon was concelebrated by the Dean of the Cardinal's College, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, and 27 other cardinals. The Holy Father gave the eulogy and presided over the Ultima Commendatio and the Valedictio .
Speaking about the sad occasion of the cardinal's death, the Holy Father referred to a passage from the Gospel of John used in the Mass: "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him (on) the last day."
Highlighting these words, the Holy Father noted that this hope in the resurrection mitigates the loss and helps one to live the moment more intensely.