I was overcome by
emotion when I learned of the death of our dear Monsignor Luigi
Giussani, which arrived at the end of a long period of illness,
which he had accepted with a spirit of serene abandonment to divine
will and generous sharing in the mystery of Christ’s cross.
His passing is a cause of great sorrow for his family, for the
presbytery of the Archdiocese of Milan, for the Communion and
Liberation Movement which he founded and for all those who admired
and loved him as a fervent minister of God. I feel spiritually
close to everyone in this moment of painful parting.
I had various occasions to meet with Monsignor Luigi Giussani
and to admire his fervent faith, which translated itself into
a Christian witness which was able to inspire so many, and especially
the young, to welcome in a broad and convinced way the Gospel
message. I thank the Lord for the gift of his life, which he lived
in full and coherent adherence to his priestly vocation, in constant
attendance to the needs of contemporary man, and in courageous
service to the Church. The entirety of his apostolic action can
be summarized in the candid and determined invitation, that he
was able to extend to all those who approached him, to a personal
encounter with Christ, as his work was the full and definitive
answer to the most profound expectations of the human heart.
Fr Giussani proposed Christ’s “company” to many
young people, who today, as adults, consider him as a spiritual
“father”. Putting aside all prospects for an academic
career, he dedicated himself to teaching students in need of inspirational
reference points and models. He gave rise, in the 1970s, to his
evangelizing activity by presenting the truth of faith as an open
and unending dialogue, together with a coherent docility to the
teachings of the Church and, above all, living an exemplary life.
Thus it was that the Communion and Liberation Movement was born
and grew over the years thanks to the apostolic zeal of this fervent
Ambrosian priest, who was able to involve so many disciples along
an exciting missionary path.
Christ and the Church: here is contained the synthesis of his
life and his apostolate. Never separating one from the other,
he expressed to those around him a true love for the Lord and
for the various Popes he met personally. He was also profoundly
attached to his Diocese and his Pastors.
A defender of human reason, Father Giussani was an expert in literature
and music, and a determined advocate of art as a path that leads
to the Mystery. Looked to by the followers of the Movement he
founded, which has spread to many countries in the world, listened
to, with respect, by people of different faiths and different
professional responsibilities, the memory I hold dear of Father
Giussani is that of a teacher of humanity and defender of the
religiosity that is inscribed in the human heart.
As I earnestly pray for this faithful servant of the Gospel, whom
I entrust to the intercession of the Holy Virgin, I ask God that
those who knew and met him on their way, experiencing the wonders
that the Lord carried out in them through the expression of his
witness, follow faithfully in his footsteps and keep alive his
charismatic intuition. With special affections, my thoughts at
this moment are with his spiritual sons and daughters who make
up the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation and the Memores
Domini Lay Association.
May Mary, gentle Mother of the Redeemer, watch over each and everyone.
With this hope, I give my heartfelt Apostolic Blessing to Cardinal
Dionigi Tettamanzi, Archbishop of Milan, to the prelates and priests
in attendance, as well as to all those who are mourning the loss
of dear Monsignor Giussani and to all those attending the funeral
Mass.
JOANNES PAULUS II
Ireland
