Cardinal Sodano recalled Cardinal Tauran as a man who courageously served Christ’s holy Church, despite the burden of his illness. At the time of his death, Tauran was President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, and Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.
The homily also focused on the Beatitudes which, Cardinal Sodano said, always illuminated the life of our dearly departed brother, like bright stars along his journey. He cited the famous words of Saint Augustine, “Lord, we do not complain because you have taken him away from us; rather, we thank you for having given him to us.”
Cardinal Sodano continued: For many years I witnessed the great apostolic spirit of the late Cardinal, in the long years of common service to the Holy See, and I will keep a grateful memory of it forever. Cardinal Tauran, he said, was a great example of a priest, a Bishop, a Cardinal who dedicated his whole life to the service of the Church; and more recently especially to dialogue with all men of good will. In this way, Sodano concluded, Cardinal Tauran lived out the words of Vatican II’s Gaudium et spes: Since God the Father is the origin and purpose of all men, we are all called to be brothers. Therefore, if we have been summoned to the same destiny, human and divine, we can and we should work together without violence and deceit in order to build up the world in genuine peace.
Here is a translation of the homily which was shared during the funeral liturgy for His Eminence, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.
Homily shared by His Eminence, Cardinal Angelo Sodano
Dean of the College of Cardinals
Holy Father,
Dear confrere Cardinals,
Distinguished Authorities and Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Dear members of the family and the Diocese of the accomplished Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran,
With profound sentiments, we are gathered around the altar of the Lord to return to the Lord our unforgettable Cardinal, and to entrust him into the merciful care of our Father who is in heaven.
Many of us have gathered here, connected to him through various ties that unite us with this accomplished Pastor whose life was truly a blessing in our midst. At the conclusion of this Eucharistic celebration, the Holy Father will impart the final blessing to the body of our confrere. The Holy Father has already referred to the Cardinal with moving words that he sent to the sister of the deceased. We greet her who is present here among us in this hour of sadness.
I myself have grateful memories of this brother who has courageously served the holy Church of Christ, in spite of the burden of his own illness. May the Lord now welcome this faithful servant of His into the glory of paradise.
My brothers, the readings for this Holy Funeral Mass have reminded us of a few things that are characteristic of the Word of God which may comfort us in our hour of trial. In the first reading, the apostle Saint John illuminates us, saying: Blessed are those who have died in the Lord ... they will rest from their labours, for their good deeds will go with them (Rev 14:13). Then in the responsorial psalm, we repeated this beautiful prayer of the De Profundis: Out of the depths, I cry to you O Lord. Lord, listen to my voice. Let your ears listen to the voice of my pleadings. In the second reading, Saint Paul invited us to be courageous in the face of life’s challenges, for the Lord is always beside us. For this reason, we are never discouraged, says the Apostle, but even if at times we are outwardly diminished, we are inwardly renewed day after day (2 Cor 4:16). And finally, in the gospel, Jesus reminded us of the Beatitudes which are for all Christians. It is always moving to hear the proclamation of these Beatitudes in our church: Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek, blessed are the merciful, blessed in heart are all those who work for peace (Mt 5:1-12). These Beatitudes always illuminated the life of our beloved deceased brother like luminous stars pointing out his path.
Therefore it is just that today, we are gathered in such great numbers here to thank the Lord for having shared him with us, repeating the well-known prayer of Saint Augustine: Lord, we do not lament because you have taken him, rather we thank you for having shared him with us.
I myself have witnessed the great apostolic spirit of our esteemed Cardinal for many years of our many years of common service to the Holy See and I will always maintain a grateful remembrance of the great figure of a priest, of a Bishop, of a Cardinal who I would say – like many others – gave his life in service to the Holy See, to the Church and to ongoing dialogue with all men of good will. In this way, this accomplished Cardinal Jean-Louis followed in the footsteps of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council which, in the Constitution Gaudium et spes (on the Church in the Modern World) says: Since God the Father is the origin and purpose of all men, we are all called to be brothers. Therefore, if we have been summoned to the same destiny, human and divine, we can and we should work together without violence and deceit in order to build up the world in genuine peace (GS, 92).
This is how our accomplished brother Jean-Louis worked; may the Lord now grant him the reward of all the saints. Amen.
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