Sunday brings the 9th and final Novemdiales Mass for Pope Francis with Presider Cardinal Mamberti

 

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• Pope Francis
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• Basilica di San Pietro

Cardinal Mamberti: Pope Francis, faithful to his mission with all his strength

On Sunday afternoon, 4 May, the Third Sunday of Easter, Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti presided over the ninth and final Novemdiale Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica in suffrage for Pope Francis, with the participation of the College of Cardinals. He recalled that Peter’s mission is love expressed through service to the Church and all humanity.

By Alessandro Di Bussolo

The mission of Peter and the Apostles, Cardinal Mamberti noted in his homily, “is love itself, which becomes service to the Church and to all humanity.” Pope Francis, “animated by the Lord’s love,” was faithful to his mission “to the point of exhausting all his strength.” This was a primary point of Cardinal Mamberti’s homily, delivered during the final Mass of the Novemdiales (Masses marking the nine days of mourning for a deceased pope), reflecting on the Gospel passage from John read on this Third Sunday of Easter. The reading recounts the encounter of the Risen Jesus with several apostles by the Sea of Tiberias, ending with Jesus entrusting Peter with his mission and the command: “Follow me!”

Proclaiming the joy of the Gospel 

Cardinal Mamberti remarked that this Gospel is especially fitting for a Church now praying for a new Successor of Peter as the Conclave begins on 7 May. As well, the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, where Peter and the others declare: “We must obey God rather than men.” The French Cardinal recalled how Pope Francis, using those very words, warned the powerful and proclaimed to all humanity the joy of the Gospel, the Merciful Father, and Christ the Savior.

“He did this through his teachings, his travels, his gestures, and his way of life. He said, “I stood near him on Easter Sunday at the Loggia of the Blessings of this Basilica, a witness to his suffering, but above all to his courage and determination to serve the People of God until the end.””

Peter’s humble love 

Cardinal Mamberti recalled words of Pope Benedict XVI, who said, “Simon understands that Jesus is satisfied with his poor love, the only one he is capable of.” It is this divine understanding that gives hope to the disciple who has known the pain of unfaithfulness. From that moment on, Peter follows the Master “with full awareness of his own fragility.” Cardinal Mamberti also recalled Saint John Paul II, who on the 25th anniversary of his pontificate said, “Every day in my heart I relive the same dialogue between Jesus and Peter,” and that he felt Jesus encouraging him to answer, like Peter: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Then Jesus would entrust him again with his responsibilities.

The essential dimension of adoration 

Cardinal Mamberti also recalled the second reading from Revelation with its praise and adoration of God and the Lamb. Pope Francis often emphasized, he said, that “adoration is an essential dimension of the Church’s mission and of the faithful’s lives.” In his homily for Epiphany 2024, the Pope lamented that “we’ve lost the habit of adoring, the ability that adoration gives us. Let’s rediscover the beauty of prayerful adoration. Today, adoration is lacking among us.”

“This ability to adore was clearly present in Pope Francis. His intense pastoral life and countless encounters were always rooted in long periods of prayer shaped by Ignatian discipline. He often reminded the Church that contemplation is “a dynamic of love” that “lifts us to God not to detach us from the world, but to help us dwell in it more deeply.””

In conclusion, Cardinal Mamberti recalled how Pope Francis did everything under the gaze of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, before whom he prayed 126 times at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. “Now that he rests near the beloved icon,” Cardinal Mamberti invited the faithful to entrust him to the intercession of the Mother of the Lord and our Mother.

Cardinal Dominique Mamberti when giving his homily (@VATICAN MEDIA)

Prayer for Pope Francis

During the prayers of the faithful, the Church prayed that the Lord welcome Pope Francis into His kingdom, acknowledging his trust in the Church’s prayer, purifying him “of human weakness,” and granting him “the reward promised to faithful servants.”

On Sunday, some Cardinals celebrated Mass in their titular churches across Rome. On Monday, 5 May, the Cardinals will meet for General Congregations in the morning at 9 and again at 5 p.m. For Tuesday, 6 May, only a morning session is planned so far, with a possible afternoon session if needed.

Today was the 8th Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis, presided bt Cardinal Artime

 

Pope Francis urged 'heart and spirit' for 'the poorest' among us, Cardinal Artime says

Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime incenses the altar at the eighth Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica, Saturday, May 3, 2025 | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

By Daniel Payne

CNA Newsroom, May 3, 2025 / 14:00 pm

Pope Francis desired that consecrated Catholic men and women possess "a heart and a spirit pure and free enough" to love and serve the least among us, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime said at the eighth Novendiales Mass on Saturday.

The prelate, the former prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, celebrated, and delivered the homily at, the second-to-last Mass held in mourning for the Holy Father, who passed away on April 21.

Praying for the dead, the cardinal said during the homily at St. Peter's Basilica, is "the greatest work of charity."

Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime speaks at the eighth Novendiales Mass for Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica, Saturday, May 3, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAC

"When we help our neighbors materially, we share ephemeral goods, but when we pray for them we do so with eternal goods," Artime said.

"To pray for the dead means, therefore, to love those who have died," he continued, "and that is what we are doing now for Pope Francis, gathered as the People of God, together with the pastors and especially this evening with a very significant presence of consecrated men and women."

Francis "felt very well liked by the People of God," Artime said, "and [he] knew that those belonging to the different expressions of consecrated life also loved him; they prayed for his ministry, for the person of the Pope, for the Church, for the world."

The whole Church, he said, is "called to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus, who died and rose again." But consecrated men and women are signaled out for particular service, he said.

"[We] have received this vocation, this call to discipleship that asks us to witness to the primacy of God with our whole lives," he said. "This mission is especially important when - as in many parts of the world today - we experience God's absence or forget his centrality too easily."

The presence of the Risen Christ, the cardinal said, "transforms everything."

"Darkness is overcome by light; useless work becomes fruitful and promising again; the sense of weariness and abandonment gives way to a new momentum and the certainty that He is with us," he said.

Artime recalled the words of Pope Francis during the Year of Consecrated Life, when the Holy Father said he expected consecrated Catholics "to wake up the world, because the note that characterizes consecrated life is prophecy." Francis at the time asked for the consecrated "to be witnesses of the Lord like Peter and the Apostles," Artime said.

"He was asking us to have a heart and a spirit pure and free enough to recognize the women and men of today, our brothers and sisters, especially the poorest, the last, the discarded," the cardinal said.

"Because in them is the Lord, and so that with our passion for God, for the Kingdom and for humanity, we will be able, like Peter, to respond to the Lord, 'Lord, you know everything! You know that I love you.'"

The 7th Novemdiales Mass presided by Cardinal Gugerotti focuses on Eastern Churches

 

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• Pope Francis
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Cardinal Gugerotti: Our Eastern brothers and sisters enrich the Church's universality

In his homily for the 7th Novemdiales Mass, the Cardinal urges the faithful to welcome and help our brothers and sisters in the Eastern Churches persevere in their faith.

By Vatican News

Still at the beginning of the Easter season, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti reflected on faith in the resurrection, especially in light of the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. During the 7th Novemdiales Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Cardinal underlined that the resurrection is not “not a phenomenon inherent to human nature” rather it comes from God “through His Spirit.”

It is through this same Spirit, he stressed that man becomes adopted children of God, who cry out to Him: “Abba, Father” with all of creation. Despite this, “creation and the human person seem to hold so little value today”, the Cardinal emphasized. And yet, there remains an interconnectedness between man and nature.

Creation, he pointed out, is “a companion on humanity’s journey, in solidarity with us and seeking our solidarity in return,” and this was a theme very dear to Pope Francis.

Fraternity between the Eastern and Western Churches

At the heart of his homily, the Cardinal, Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, reflected on the richness of the Eastern Christian spirituality. United in the Mass despite our differences, he recalled their history rooted in the earliest days of Christianity, in “the fragrance of the Lord’s land.”

St. Peter’s Basilica was filled many members of the Eastern Catholic Churches for the Eucharistic celebration, and in their presence, the Cardinal expressed his gratitude for their acceptance of “the invitation to enrich the Church’s universality” through their experiences, cultures, and spirituality.

“Pope Francis, who taught us to love the diversity and richness of human expression, surely rejoices today to see us united in prayer for him and with him.”   (@VATICAN MEDIA)

As Cardinal Gugerotti noted, “at times in history, we in the West failed to understand” our brothers and sisters in the East. But this 7th Novemdiales Mass where hymns and readings were led by members of the Eastern Churches, “Pope Francis, who taught us to love the diversity and richness of human expression, surely rejoices today to see us united in prayer for him and with him.”

The Cardinal offered the Mass as a moment to recommit ourselves to welcome and help our brothers and sisters in the Eastern Churches persevere in their faith “especially now, as so many of them are forced to flee their ancient homelands, which were the Holy Land.”

To close his reflection, he urged his fellow Cardinals to recite the prayer of an Eastern father, St. Symeon the New Theologian, ahead of the upcoming conclave:

“Come, true light; come, eternal life; come, hidden mystery; come, nameless treasure; come, ineffable reality; come, inconceivable person; come, endless joy; come, light without evening; come, unfailing hope of all who are to be saved. Come, you who have always desired and desire my miserable soul…”

The 6th Novemdiales Mass remembering Pope Francis including the homily of Cardinal Victor Fernandez

 

Cardinal Fernández gives the homily for the sixth Novemdiales Mass  (@Vatican Media)

Pope

• work
• Pope Francis
• Argentina
• Conclave
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Cardinal Fernández: Pope Francis was a tireless worker

In his homily for the sixth Novemdiales Mass in memory of Pope Francis, which falls on International Workers’ Day, Cardinal Fernández reflects on the late Pope’s emphasis on the dignity of work.

By Jean-Benoît Harel 

On Thursday 1 May, which is a public holiday in the Vatican as in many countries around the world, the College of Cardinals did not hold a General Congregation to prepare for the conclave.

Many members, however, did gather in St Peter's Basilica for the sixth mass of the Novemdiales, the period of mourning for the late Pope Francis.

The celebration was presided over by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, a good friend of the late Pope’s who served under him as Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Fernández began his homily by saying that since his death, Pope Francis had become ‘fully united with Christ’.

Dignity through work

1 May is also International Workers’ Day, stressed the Argentine cardinal, who said that, for the late Pope “work expresses and nourishes the dignity of the human being”.

“It allows us to develop our abilities, it helps us to grow in our relationships, it allows us to feel that we are God's collaborators in caring for and improving this world”, said Cardinal Fernández.

Promoting human dignity means enabling people to “develop all the good they have within them, to earn their living with the gifts God has given them, to develop their abilities”, he added.

The false idea of ‘meritocracy’

Fernández went on to explain Pope Francis’ criticism of meritocracy, which leads to “thinking that only those who succeed in life have merit”.

The Argentinian Cardinal told the story of a man he knew in Buenos Aires who worked between 12 and 15 hours a day, choosing not to see his children in order make enough money to feed them. Once, Cardinal Fernández said, a well-dressed passer-by shouted at him: “Go and work, lazybones”.

"These words struck me as horribly cruel and vain”, said Cardinal Fernández. “But they are also present in other, more elegant speeches”.

In today's world, “it seems that someone who has inherited a lot of property is more worthy than someone who has worked hard all their life without being able to save”, he stressed, before asking: "Don't the weak have the same dignity as us? Do those born with fewer opportunities simply have to survive?"

Pope Francis, a tireless worker

Cardinal Fernández then turned to consider the example of Pope Francis as a worker. “He worked not only in the mornings, with meetings, audiences, celebrations and gatherings, but also all afternoon”, he recalled, adding that, only four days before his death, very weak, he had insisted on visiting a prison.

The Holy Father rarely took any time off. A habit he already had in Buenos Aires, recalled Cardinal Fernandez: “he never went out to restaurants, the theatre, for a walk or to see a film, he never took a full day off”.

For Francis, Fernández continued, “his daily work was his response to God's love”.

Entrusting the Pope to Saint Joseph

The members of the Curia are also workers, Fernández highlighted: “work is also for us, in the Curia, a path of maturation and fulfilment as Christians".

In conclusion, the Argentine cardinal recalled that, whenever Pope Francis was worried, “he would place a piece of paper with a supplication under the icon of Saint Joseph”.

It is to saint, who worked so hard to take care of Mary and Jesus, Cardinal Fernández said, that we now pray: “Let us ask him to embrace our dear Pope Francis in heaven”.

The 5th Novemdiales Mass in memory of Pope Francis presided by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri

 

Cardinal Sandri leads the fifth Novemdiale mass in St Peter's Basilica  (AFP or licensors)

Pope

• Pope Francis
• mass
• sede vacante

Cardinal Sandri: Pope Francis leaves legacy of service and vision

Presiding over the fifth Novemdiales Mass in memory of Pope Francis, Cardinal Sandri reflects on Pope Francis’ witness of humble service as well as on the lasting vision he leaves for the future of the Church.

By Francesca Merlo

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri opened his homily during the fifth Novendiales Mass by proclaiming "Christ is Risen". He noted that in this Easter time the Church is between two important moments: the end of Pope Francis' papacy and the start of a new one. In just a few days, he said, the Cardinal Protodeacon will once again step out onto the balcony of St Peter’s to announce the name of a new Pope. That role, said Cardinal Sandri, “finds its meaning in the Paschal experience of Christ.”

Remembering together, praying together

Cardinal Sandri explained that the Novendiales Mass is not just a time of mourning, but a moment for the Church to come together, to pray, to remember, and to reaffirm its faith in the Resurrection. The cardinals gather not only as collaborators of the Pope, said Cardinal Sandri, but also carrying with them the prayers of people from all over the world: from Tonga to Mongolia, from Tehran to Jerusalem, and from places where Christians are a small but faithful presence, such as Morocco and Algeria.

“We are called each day to remember and consciously live the truth that to reign is to serve,” the Cardinal said, quoting Pope Francis, before stressing that it is with this spirit that Pope Francis lived his papcy: through his actions, his journeys and his constant care for those on the margins.

The title “Servant of the Servants of God,” once used by Pope Gregory the Great, was important for Pope Francis, who continued to remind the Church that at its heart, it must always serve, said the Cardinal

From Scripture to today

Reflecting on the day’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Cardinal Sandri noted that Peter’s speech at Pentecost was chosen not only because it marked the beginning of the Church but also because it speaks of fulfilment. This, too, reiterates that just as Pentecost marked a new beginning for the apostles, the Church today prepares for a new chapter.

He then went on to recite a verse from the prophet Joel, one often quoted by Pope Francis: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.”

Cardinal Sandri noted that Pope Francis often linked this passage to the importance of connecting generations. “There is no future without this encounter between old and young,” he explained.

A dream for the Church

Bringing his homily to a close, Cardinal Sandri noted that Pope Francis had already left a vision for the future of the Church. In the Bull of Indiction for the 2025 Jubilee, he looked ahead to another major anniversary: 2000 years since the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, to be celebrated in 2033.

“This Holy Year will guide the path of Christians… so that spiritually, we may all become pilgrims to the Holy Land, and proclaim once again: ‘The Lord is truly risen and has appeared to Simon!’", concluded the cardinal

Novemdiales Mass for Day 4 with Cardinal Gambetti

 

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• Pope Francis
• mass
• Vatican

Cardinal Gambetti at Novemdiales Mass: See the fullness of God in the least

Presiding over the fourth Novemdiales Mass in memory of Pope Francis, Cardinal Gambetti reminds the faithful that they should see God in everyone as the late Pope did.

by Francesca Merlo 

At the fourth Novemdiales Mass celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti reflected on the passage from Matthew's Gospel describing the Final Judgement, when all peoples of the world are gathered before Christ, the Son of Man. 

Some, the Gospel tells us, will enter into the joy of the Kingdom. Others will find themselves alone - outside love, outside God. “Excluded from the Kingdom,” Cardinal Gambetti said, “they remain desperately alone in their soul".

The Gospel speaks of sheep and goats, a familiar image. But Cardinal Gambetti invited the faithful to look deeper. Sheep, he explained, are faithful and gentle, caring for the weakest of the flock. Goats, instead, are more independent and prouder, often concerned only with themselves. “Which of these attitudes do we embody,” he asked, both “personally and institutionally?"

Belonging to the Kingdom, he reminded the faithful, is not about knowing all the answers or performing all the right actions. In the Gospel, those welcomed into the Kingdom ask, “Lord, when did we see you?” The word used - oráo in Greek - means more than simply seeing. It means to truly understand, to recognise. The message is clear: we meet Christ when we meet others, especially the most vulnerable, with compassion.

“The Word became flesh,” the Cardinal continued, quoting theologian Elia Citterio, “so that whoever touches man touches God, whoever honours man honours God, whoever despises man despises God.”

This is the heart of the Gospel. This is the heart of the Church. And it is this humanity that Cardinal Gambetti saw in Pope Francis. He recounted the farewell to the Pope written by Edith Bruck, who described the Pope as “a man who loved, was moved, wept, pleaded for peace... his humanity was contagious, it softened even the stones".

As the Church prays for Pope Francis and walks through these days of mourning, Cardinal Gambetti reminded the faithful that “Christian humanity” must be at the centre of the Church’s mission. “Everyone, everyone, everyone is called to live in the Church", Pope Francis once said - words that today feel more urgent than ever.

In the first reading, Peter’s encounter with Cornelius offers a model: openness, trust, and the courage to proclaim the Gospel through relationship, not fear.

Finally, Cardinal Gambetti noted that on this Feast of Saint Catherine of Siena, whose bold love for Christ saw no boundaries, the Church is reminded of the call to walk closely with humanity - because God has done the same.

The 3rd day of Novemdiales; Mass for Pope Francis presided by Cardinal Reina

 

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• Pope Francis
• Rome
• death
• sede vacante

Cardinal Reina at Novemdiales Mass: 'We feel like sheep without a shepherd'

At Mass on the third day of the Novemdiales in suffrage for Pope Francis, the Cardinal Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome reminds the faithful, as they mourn the late Pope, that death is not the end because ‘The grain must die to bear fruit.’

By Vatican News

The third Mass of the Novemdiales, the nine days of mourning for the late Pope Francis, was celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday afternoon and presided over by Cardinal Baldassare Reina.

Sheep without a shepherd in a broken world

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Cardinal Parolin at Novemdiales Mass: ‘Mercy takes us to heart of faith’

The Cardinal Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome began his homily by acknowledging the shared grief of the people of Rome who, along with all the faithful across the world, not only mourn the passing of their Bishop, but feel like “sheep without a shepherd.”

This metaphor, he said, summaries the feelings of these days, but also reflects the present state of humanity, which, in a world ablaze with crises, seems abandoned and leaderless, much like the crowds that moved Jesus to compassion.

Life and goodness prevail over death and evil

Cardinal Reina recalled how the Apostles, despite their tireless work and exhaustion, strove to bring signs of hope and tangible love to a broken world — simple gestures like touch, mercy, and non-judgmental words — signs that life and goodness prevail over death and evil. This apostolic spirit, he remarked, echoed in Pope Francis’ Ministry: a dedication that exhausted itself in service, culminating in a final outpouring of blessing on his Easter Sunday.

Sowing in times of famine demands extraordinary faith 

Yet, Cardinal Reina warned that the present is not a time for nostalgia or fear-driven retreat. Rather, the Church is called to radical fidelity — to embrace a new heaven and a new earth, without succumbing to the temptation to cling to past certainties or worldly alliances.  

True fidelity, he said, also means discerning the spirit of the reforms started by Pope Francis and pursuing them with courage, seeking leadership that resists fear and worldly compromise, and remains rooted in Gospel compassion and unity.

Drawing on the Gospel of John, Cardinal Reina reflected on the parable of the grain of wheat that must die to bear fruit — an image of Christ’s death and His salvific Resurrection. In following Christ, Christians, too, he said, must become "seeds," willing to be buried, hidden, and spent for the sake of new life. Sowing in times of famine, as the psalmist describes, demands extraordinary faith — offering up even the last reserves in a seemingly desperate act of trust.

Continuing on the path set by Pope Francis

The Cardinal paralleled Pope Francis’ final public acts with this radical act of sowing unto death. His final “sowing” was a living testament to the mission of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.

Cardinal Reina concluded by invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary, the protector of the Roman people, to accompany and guard the Church as she continues on the path set by its late pastor, reminding the faithful that death is not the end, but the seedbed of resurrection.