 "Who is Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, leading Pope Francis’ funeral?")
But who is Cardinal Battista Re? How is he eulogising the late Pope?
Pope Francis’ funeral rites are on.
The Pope is being given a massive funeral in front of 200,000 people in St Peter’s Square.
Several world leaders including President Droupadi Murmu, US President Donald Trump, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and others are in attendance.
The funeral, which is taking place in front of hundreds of cardinals and bishops and thousands of priests, is being led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.
But who is Cardinal Battista Re? How is he eulogising the late Pope?
Let’s take a closer look:
Who is Cardinal Re?
As per BBC, Re, 91, is the dean of the College of Cardinals – one of the most senior and powerful positions in the Catholic Church.
As per USA Today, Re was born in Italy’s Brescia in 1934.
Re has a doctorate in canon law from Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University.
Re was ordained in the Diocese of Brescia in 1957 – at the age of 23.
His Vatican career kicked off in 1963 when he joined the Curia – the Church’s main and most powerful governing body.
Re Spent years teaching in the Brescia seminary.
He then joined the Holy See’s diplomatic service.
Re served The Vatican in Panama and Iran.
He was then appointed personal secretary to Archbishop Giovanni Benelli of Florence.
Re ran the daily operations of the Holy See as the Substitute for General Affairs of the Vatican’s Secretariat of State – another extremely powerful post.
Pope John Paul II in 2000 appointed Re as the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
In the position, Re played a key role in picking Bishops across the world.
As per BBC, Pope John Paul II then appointed Re a cardinal in 2001.
Re’s biography on the College of Cardinals website says he has an “affable manner and efficient approach to issues and conflicts”.
Re took part in the April 2005 conclave that chose Pope Benedict XVI as John Paul II’s heir.
He also participated in the March 2013 conclave that saw Pope Francis elected Pontiff after Benedict XVI stepped down – the first time a Pontiff had resigned in over 600 years.
However, Re this time will be unable to participate in the papal election.
This is because only cardinals under the age of 80 can vote for Pope.
Re, who has held the post of dean of Cardinal College since 2020, was given an extension by Francis in February 2025.
Re will hold the post till 2030.
Francis in an interview said Re openly disagreed with him, “but whose advice and opinion he nevertheless values,” as per USA Today.
What is Re saying about the Pope?
As per CNN, Re, delivering the sermon at Francis’ funeral , said the late Pope followed a “path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life.”
“The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of last Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite his serious health problems, wanted to give us his blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica,” Re was quoted as saying.
Re was referring to Pope Francis’ final public appearance before his death.
“He then came down to this square to greet the large crowd gathered for the Easter Mass while riding in the open-top Popemobile,” Re added. “With our prayers, we now entrust the soul of our beloved Pontiff to God, that he may grant him eternal happiness in the bright and glorious gaze of his immense love.”
“Hearing the words echo in our hearts, ‘Do not forget to pray for me,’ which we heard so many times from Pope Francis, we want to pray for him this evening,” Re said as per Vatican News.
He urged the audience to “thank the Lord for the gifts he gave to the whole church through the apostolic ministry of Pope Francis."
Re also eulogised Pope Francis as a pope of the people, a pastor who knew how to communicate to the “least among us” with an informal, spontaneous style.
Re called Francis “a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone.”
He recalled the last image many people have of Francis was of him delivering what would become his final blessing on Easter Sunday, and saluting from the popemobile in the same piazza where his funeral was being celebrated.
With inputs from agencies
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