Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle led a Mass at the Chapel of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome on Sunday morning, a day after Pope Francis was laid to rest at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.
The Mass was intended for Filipino priests in Rome who are undergoing continuing formation. In his homily, Cardinal Tagle focused on the theme of mercy, reflecting on the Second Sunday of Easter, which was established by Pope John Paul II as Divine Mercy Sunday.
“We need to praise the Lord, for mercy has become eternal in the risen Lord. We know that mercy will not be defeated by the evil present in the world,” Cardinal Tagle said, emphasizing that mercy remains unshaken by the evil in the world.
He also encouraged the faithful to focus on spreading the good news rather than dwelling on negative events.
Although a successor for Pope Francis has not yet been decided, Cardinal Tagle, the former Archbishop of Manila, and Pietro Parolin, the Cardinal Secretary of State of Italy, are considered frontrunners, according to British bookmakers.
