Dr Tom Ward, a member of SPUC and president of the National Association of Catholic Families (NACF), attended the funeral of Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo (to whom I paid tribute on Sunday) in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, this morning, on behalf of the NACF and SPUC. The funeral mass was celebrated by Cardinal Sodano, the dean of the College of Cardinals, and the homily was delivered by Pope Benedict XVI.
Dr Ward told me: “The Holy Father spoke powerfully about Cardinal Lopez Trujillo’s zeal, passion and indefatigability in his promotion of marriage and the family and he spoke of the courage with which the cardinal defended the non-negotiable values of human life. He praised his tenacity in defence of family life, his love of the truth of the family and his love of the Gospel of Life. Pope Benedict stressed that the cardinal dedicated his life in Rome to the defence of the family and of life as a collaborator of the Holy Father.
“Pope Benedict praised Cardinal Lopez Trujillo’s strength – saying that he always had great generosity to children and that he exhausted himself for children and for the family.”
The Catholic News Agency reporting on the papal homily says: ‘“Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, whose motto was "Veritas in caritate", dedicated "his entire life to affirming the truth", said the Pope.’
Dr Ward’s conclusion regarding Pope Benedict’s homily was: “The Holy Father presented Cardinal Lopez Trujillo with his motto “Veritas in caritate” as the exemplar for the church and for those in the pro-family and pro-life movement”.
An interesting obituary on the late cardinal appeared in today's London Times.
