Fernando Feloni: Pope practiced the virtue of hope

Debora Dunini – Vatikan Sidad

The pain comes out, but it is also a gratitude of Pope Francis from the words of Cardinal Fernando Feloni, Master Grand, the arrangement of equestrian from the Holy grave of Jerusalem, in an interview with the Vatican media. Cardinal worked for many years with the Holy Father, and among other things, from 2011 to 2019, the group’s governor was to preach people.

Esperanza

“After that, many elements that make this moment naturally arise in the sadness of those who lose a loved and estimated person, but also full of hope because Pope Francis did not know this virtue in a unique way, but they also practiced it in his life, especially in his last part and we really saw it.”

I was shocked by the stories of Iraq

Philoni was part of the papal entourages on one of the central Apostolic trips in Pontificate: in 2021 to Iraq. For the first time, the Pope went to the land of Abraham. In the country of the Middle East, then bishops, Feloni, was Nonnio Apostle from 2001 to 2006, when he was crossing the years of war, and later, in 2014, he was sent by Pope’s employees to Iraq to bring comfort to those who fled from a nine plain.

“It was a two -week experience in which I did not get the material assistance that the Pope entrusted me only, but above all to find me, and the use of a very dear expression on Pope Francis, they brought hugs for this group of the population, which was in a position of great despair because they fled without anything, they sometimes threw the people who had their shoes and abandoned them … so there was if there was something to pay.”

When he told the Cardinal Philoni, upon his return, Francisco did what he lived, “The Pope was deeply moved: There were many feelings in those moments when we talked about this experience of these Christian societies. The Pope – I think – at that moment, the idea of ​​going to himself was ripening.

The Apostolic Journey to Iraq

The Apostolic trip occurred to Iraq in March 2021. There are three specific aspects highlighted by Cardinal Feloni. First, the importance of meeting the people who return to their lands, visit and proximity. The second aspect was to fulfill the desire of San Juan Pablo and Pope Francis himself.

After that to meet the Chi community, “because – he remembers the Cardinal – the land of Ur in the middle of the Shiite lands, there are sacred cities for the Nim: Navi, Karbala … and therefore, a special historical journey.”

“In the past, he wrote a history of Christians, and the Church in Mesopotamia, and the Pope really wanted to read it to be aware of the long history of the Christian existence on this land.” Such an important stage for Pope Francis, who admitted was “more beautiful”.