Pope Francis Calls the Mother of a Youth who Died after attending World Youth Day - RIP Luca Re Sartù
Pope Francis called the mother of young man who passed away just after World Youth Day.
The Holy Father "cried with me" and "consoled me as if he were my father," says the mother of 24-year-old Luca, who died of a virus days after participating at the WYD in Lisbon, Portugal.
Vatican News reported that in northern Italy, the Church of Sant'Ilario in Marnate in the province of Varese, a city-wide mourning was proclaimed. The was packed Friday morning for the funeral of Luca Re Sartù, a 24-year-old who died of a bacterium a few days after returning from World Youth Day.
The requiem Mass was attended by numerous people, including family members, friends wearing Lisbon WYD shirts, acquaintances, civic leaders, and many others touched by the young man's witness of faith and selflessness.
Earlier, Luca's mother had received a surprise phone call from Pope Francis. With great emotion, she shared this event, directly, with the Auxiliary Bishop of Milan, Luca Raimondi, who celebrated the funeral.
Luca's mother, Bishop Raimondi said, was greatly struck by Pope Francis' gesture and closeness." The mother's verbatim words," he told Vatican News, "were, 'When you see him [the Pope], thank him for his exquisite kindness.
“'He was moved with me, he cried with me, and above all he was like a father. He comforted me as if he were my father.'”
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