This is how the last goodbye to Pope Francis lived in Buenos Aires

With prints, flags and t -shirts with the face of Pope Francis, this Saturday, April 26, from very early, the faithful of the city of Buenos Aires turned the main streets that flow into the emblematic Plaza de Mayo to say goodbye to a great son of this land: Jorge Bergoglio, who died on Easter Monday after 12 years of pontificate.

The Eucharist was chaired by the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Mons. Jorge García Cuerva, and concelebrated by numerous bishops, including the emeritus archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Mario Aurelio Poli, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Mons. Miroslaw Adamczyk, along with dozens of priests.

The Eucharist brought together thousands of people, with the purpose of honoring Jorge Bergoglio’s memory on the earth that saw him born, and promptly in the cathedral where he took his steps as an auxiliary bishop and then as a archbishop of Buenos Aires.

“Thank you, sorry and we love you very much”

In his homily, Mons. García Cuerva invited the thousands of faithful who filled the square, to be “the Church in exit that Francisa always proposed to us,” and on behalf of all he wanted to “give Francisco a great hug and say thanks, forgiveness and we love you very much.”

In this moment of pain, the prelate said that today we “cry Francisco” from the deepest, and asked: “With pain it unites us as a people; our tears water our homeland, to make it fruitful in reconciliation and brotherhood.”

A shepherd for the most fragile and marginalized

“Francisco, as a good father, was everyone’s father, but especially he dealt with the most fragile, he had a predilection for the last, by the marginalized, by the sick, for the disposables of society; a heart of pastor in the manner of the heart of Jesus, always available for listening and forgiveness, also inviting us to commit ourselves to those who suffer,” said Mons.

He also highlighted Francisco’s value in the search for peace, his fight against exclusion and the “culture of discarding”, fragmentation and disagreement.

“Francisco’s testimony was a lighthouse that illuminated the darkness, a prophetic voice that resonated to so much complicit silence, a world reference against so much bewilderment, an animator of dreams and hopes in a discouraged world and with fear of the future, a witness of mercy and forgiveness in the storm of disqualifications and hatred,” said the prelate.

Going to the faithful, he encouraged: “Let us be the Church at exit that Francisco always proposed, a restless church, which mobilizes, that is not cornered, let’s be Christians on the way, who do not live their faith locked in four walls.”

With a call to imagine “the hug that owes ourselves as Argentines, the hug that we deny the one who thinks differently, or to the one who has other customs or other way of living, the hug that we do not share with those who suffer”, the archbishop of Buenos Aires said: “As a people we want to give Francisco a great hug and say: Thank you, forgiveness and we love you very much.”

He also summoned: “Let’s do the best of gifts to the Pope, everyone’s father, the Argentine and Buenos Aires Pope, committing us to make a pact to specify as Church and society his teaching, and thus, he definitely give us the hug that needs to live the so longed for fraternity among Argentines.”

At the end of the Eucharist, those present made a minute of silence for the death of the Holy Father, and then the stanzas of the national anthem were sung. Then, the gesture of the hug was made to Francisco, with a caravan around the Plaza de Mayo headed by his image.

A reference of hope, peace and love for all

Pilar, from the Federal Capital, told ACI Press that her presence at Mass was motivated that the figure of Francisco went to her “and for all the Argentine people, a reference of hope, peace and love for all. I especially believe that he came to clarify a little more who God is for all of us and how much he loves us.”

Despite not having known him personally, Maria arrived from Villa Soldati to say goodbye to the Pope, because “we always feel the presence of him in the neighborhoods,” he said.

Eloisa is from the Franciscan community and to mobilize using a walker, but he did not want to miss the mass and with effort, he participated in the caravan around the square. Excited, said Francisco “was an exceptional being, and represented us.”

“As the bishop said, our father left,” he lamented. “What struck me from this pontificate was the return to the gospel, the return to evangelical life,” he said. Just as Francisco de Asís transformed the church in his time, the woman reflected, “he is transforming her now.”

“It really was a saint,” he synthesized.