Pope Francis honors memory of Armenian Patriarch Nerses Bedros

PanARMENIAN.Net - Pope Francis presided over Mass on November 3 at St. Peter's Basilica in remembrance of cardinals and bishops who died in the past year. They included U.S. Cardinals Edward M. Egan of New York, Francis E. George of Chicago, William W. Baum of Washington, D.C., and Canadian Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte of Montreal, Catholic Chronicle reports.

Also remembered at the Mass were 99 archbishops and bishops from around the world who died in the past 12 months, as well as the Armenian Catholic Patriarch Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni.

Serving and giving oneself for others may make one "seem like a loser in the eyes of the world," but in reality that person is imitating Christ's love and service, which conquered death and gave life to the world, Pope Francis said.

"He who serves, saves," the pope said. "On the contrary, he who does not live to serve does not serve to live."

Recalling the lives of the deceased cardinals and bishops, the pope expressed his gratitude for their vocation of serving others and said that like them, we too, "are called to renew the choice of serving in the church."

The pope reflected on the Gospel reading of St. John in which Jesus tells Nicodemus that "the Son of Man must be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."

In remembering the cardinals and bishops who have passed away this year, the pope said that the faithful are called to reflect not on what serves their needs, but rather what serves the needs of others.