In a gesture of gratitude, the pope celebrated the funeral of his ambassador in Argentina

ROME.- In a particular gesture of appreciation, the

dad Francisco

celebrated today in the basilica of San Pedro the solemn funeral of Monseigneur
Lion Kalenga Badikebele, Apostolic Nuncio in the

Argentina

, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, died last Wednesday in this capital, at the age of 62, of fulminant cancer.

In a short and profound homily, Francisco, who in March 2018 had appointed Kalenga, a former diplomat, ambbadador to his motherland, spoke of the time of the farewells. "We entrust our brother in the hands of God, who are the most beautiful hands, full of love," he said.

The pope mentioned Kalenga, the first African nuncio in the country, successor of

Buenos Aires

from Switzerland Paul Emile Tscherrig, referring to the figure of the shepherd. He remembered the Apostle Paul in Miletus, when he confronted the elders of Ephesus, he bade farewell and how the community, before boarding the boat, shows him the affection. "The pastor says goodbye and shows that his life is a life of obedience to God," he said.

Before the cardinals and bishops of the curia, a hundred
Nuncios from all over the world present in Rome for a triennial meeting; priests and diplomats – the ambbadador of Argentina was before the Holy See, Rogelio Pfirter, and his wife -, the pope pointed out that the pastor's life was a testimony. "The pastor also says goodbye with a testimony of detachment, is accustomed to not being attached to the goods of this world, nor to being attached to worldliness," he said.

"The pastor leaves a community of adults in the faith and encourages him to move forward and points the way to defend himself against rapacious wolves: as father and father, the pastor says goodbye to the prophecy: & # 39; Be careful, because after my departure Rogue wolves will come among you, will point the way, how to defend you without the shepherd, "he continued.

"These are the pastor's farewells to the places where he has served, and perhaps our brother León will tell us and tell his people, his people of Argentina, El Salvador from all the places where he was: God, "he said.

Francisco finally evoked the farewell of Jesus, "which is a farewell of hope:" I will prepare you for a place. "And he alluded to a teaching that he had learned in the novitiate of Jesuits. "" All life is a way to learn how to die. "Although I like to say that life teaches us to say goodbye," he added. "You must learn to say goodbye, as pastors say, like Jesus, like Pablo, like many others, like Leon, everyone says goodbye, we can also learn: take steps to say goodbye, small farewells to change the mission and the great final farewell, "he added." May the Lord grant us all this grace: learn to say goodbye, a grace from the Lord, "he concluded.