Pope Francis has sent his condolences for the death of Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels.
In a telegram, the Pope sent upon learning of the death of the Cardinal, he lamented the passing away of the archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussel (Malines-Bruxelles), military ordinary emeritus for Belgium. It was sent to Cardinal Jozef De Kesel, the current Archbishop.
Francis wrote that Cardinal Danneels “has been called to God at this time of purification and of walking toward the Resurrection of the Lord. I ask Christ, victor over evil and death, to welcome him in His peace and joy.”
“As a pledge of comfort,” the Holy Father continued, “I offer a special apostolic blessing to you and to the relatives of the deceased Cardinal, the pastors, the faithful and all those who will take part in the funeral.”
Below is the Vatican-provided text of the telegram of condolences Pope Francis sent this morning:
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[Original text: English]
In a telegram, the Pope sent upon learning of the death of the Cardinal, he lamented the passing away of the archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussel (Malines-Bruxelles), military ordinary emeritus for Belgium. It was sent to Cardinal Jozef De Kesel, the current Archbishop.
Francis wrote that Cardinal Danneels “has been called to God at this time of purification and of walking toward the Resurrection of the Lord. I ask Christ, victor over evil and death, to welcome him in His peace and joy.”
“As a pledge of comfort,” the Holy Father continued, “I offer a special apostolic blessing to you and to the relatives of the deceased Cardinal, the pastors, the faithful and all those who will take part in the funeral.”
Below is the Vatican-provided text of the telegram of condolences Pope Francis sent this morning:
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His Eminence
Cardinal Jozef De Kesel
Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel (Malines-Bruxelles)
Having learned with emotion of the death of Cardinal Godfried Danneels, archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussel, I send my deepest condolences to you and to his family, the Bishops of Belgium, the clergy, the consecrated persons and all the faithful affected by this mourning. This zealous pastor served the Church with dedication, not only in his diocese, but also at the national level as president of the Conference of Bishops of Belgium, while being a member of various Roman dicasteries. Attentive to the challenges of the contemporary Church, Cardinal Danneels also took an active role in various Synods of Bishops, including those of 2014 and 2015 on the family. He has been called to God at this time of purification and of walking toward the Resurrection of the Lord. I ask Christ, victor over evil and death, to welcome him in His peace and joy. As a pledge of comfort, I offer a special apostolic blessing to you and to the relatives of the deceased Cardinal, the pastors, the faithful and all those who will take part in the funeral.
FRANCISCUS P.P.
Cardinal Jozef De Kesel
Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel (Malines-Bruxelles)
Having learned with emotion of the death of Cardinal Godfried Danneels, archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussel, I send my deepest condolences to you and to his family, the Bishops of Belgium, the clergy, the consecrated persons and all the faithful affected by this mourning. This zealous pastor served the Church with dedication, not only in his diocese, but also at the national level as president of the Conference of Bishops of Belgium, while being a member of various Roman dicasteries. Attentive to the challenges of the contemporary Church, Cardinal Danneels also took an active role in various Synods of Bishops, including those of 2014 and 2015 on the family. He has been called to God at this time of purification and of walking toward the Resurrection of the Lord. I ask Christ, victor over evil and death, to welcome him in His peace and joy. As a pledge of comfort, I offer a special apostolic blessing to you and to the relatives of the deceased Cardinal, the pastors, the faithful and all those who will take part in the funeral.
FRANCISCUS P.P.
[Vatican-provided text]
