Pope Leo XIV celebrates memorial mass for predecessor Francis

Vatican City - At the beginning of November, the month of the dead, the Pope traditionally celebrates a memorial mass for clergymen who have died in the past year. On Monday, Leo XIV remembered his predecessor Francis and 142 cardinals and bishops.

Published on 03.11.2025 at 12:35 –

In a memorial mass, Pope Leo XIV remembered his predecessor Francis and 142 other clergymen who died in the past year. "With deep affection, we dedicate this celebration to the chosen soul of Pope Francis, who died after opening the Holy Door and giving the Easter blessing to Rome and the whole world," he said in St Peter's Basilica on Monday.

"Thanks to the Holy Year, this celebration - the first for me - takes on a special character: the taste of Christian hope," said the Pope, who was elected on 8 May, at the traditional memorial service after All Souls' Day. Leo's predecessor Francis, head of the 1.4 billion Catholics since 2013, died on Easter Monday (21 April) at the age of 88. He is buried at his own request in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in the centre of Rome.

Honours also for Kamphaus, Thissen, Laun

Leo XIV also remembered the eight cardinals and the 134 archbishops, bishops and auxiliary bishops worldwide who have died in the past twelve months. Among them from the German-speaking world were Archbishop Werner Thissen of Hamburg (died on 15 April 2025), Bishop Franz Kamphaus of Limburg (28 October 2024) and Auxiliary Bishop Andreas Laun of Salzburg (31 December 2024).

In his sermon, the Pope referred to the hope of Christians for resurrection. Through the love of the crucified and resurrected Christ, death has been transformed "from an enemy into a sister". "Of course we are sad when a loved one passes away," said Leo. "But we are not as sad as those without hope, because even the most tragic death cannot prevent our Lord from embracing our soul and transforming our mortal body, even the most disfigured, into the image of his glorified body."

For this reason, Christians do not refer to burial sites as "necropolises", i.e. "cities of the dead", but as "cemeteries", places of rest and anticipation of the resurrection. Pope Francis and the cardinals and bishops had lived, witnessed and taught this paschal hope, emphasised Leo XIV. Through their ministry, they had guided many people on the path of the Gospel with the wisdom that comes from Christ, said the Pope. (KNA)