Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “We give thanks to God for the gift of this friend and brother of ours, and for all the good that with the help of divine grace he was able to carry out in the various areas in which he offered a valuable pastoral and diplomatic activity. Especially noteworthy is his zeal in promoting vocations and in priestly formation. We trust that he will now be contemplating face-to-face this Jesus that he tried to love and serve in his brothers.” These were the words of the Holy Father Benedict XVI in the funeral mass held for Cardinal Pio Laghi, celebrated on January 13 in the Vatican Basilica. The Holy Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, along with other Cardinals. At the end, the Holy Father presided the Funeral Rite.
Commenting on the Gospel passage of the Beatitudes, proclaimed during the ceremony, the Pope affirmed that, “today, as well, the Lord Jesus continues teaching his disciples with these instructions which are always valid, as they form the 'magna carta' of an authentic Christian life. It was with great frequency that our dear Cardinal Pio Laghi paused to meditate on these words of the Gospel and with great frequency he explained them to the faithful!...God has created us for Him and in Him we find our happiness. Conforming ourselves to His Word, we can become a source of peace and joy even in the midst of trials and sufferings that inevitably form a part of our earthly pilgrimage. Let us ask the Lord that He may give our Brother the grace to participate in the eternal beatitude.” Pope Benedict XVI then recalled that “the entire priestly mission of Cardinal Pio Laghi was consumed in his direct service to the Holy See.” He was always inspired by the words of Jesus to Peter, on the occasion of the miraculous catch of fish: “In verbo tuo laxabo rete” (Lk 5:5), which he chose as the theme of his ministry as a Bishop. In his family, he received a solid human and Christian formation, and it was there that the seed of his priestly vocation was planted. Then, recalling the various stages of his life, the Holy Father recalled his elementary and secondary school studies in Faenza, in the Salesian school in the city, and later his philosophy studies in the diocesan seminary and theology studies in Rome, where he attended the Pontifical Major Seminary until his priestly ordination on April 20, 1946. He was then called to serve the Holy See and in March of 1952, after earning Licentiates in Theology and Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University, he began his long diplomatic and pastoral ministry in Nunciatures in various countries.
John Paul II appointed him Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education and made him Cardinal in the Consistory held on June 28, 1991, assigning him from May 1993 to be Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The Pope continued, saying: “With gratitude we should also recall the special missions that were entrusted to him: in May 2001, in Israel and with Palestinian authorities, to present a signed Pontifical Message with the goal of encouraging both parties to cease fire and to take up dialogue; two years later in March 2003, he was in charge of going as a special envoy to Washington to present the President of the United States with a pontifical message and explain the position and initiatives taken by the Holy See in contributing to the disarmament and peace in the Middle East.”
“They were delicate missions which he always tried to fulfill with faithful dedication to Christ and His Church,” the Holy Father said, encouraging all in the hope “that illumined the priestly and apostolic life of Cardinal Pio Laghi and that now finds its fullness and final realization in the divine call to participate in the heavenly banquet.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 14/1/2009)
