Here is a ZENIT translation of the telegram Pope Francis sent offering condolences on the death of Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, retired archbishop of Montreal.
* * *
His Excellency
Monsignor Christian LEPINE
Archbishop of Montreal
MONTREAL
Moved on learning of the decease of Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, Archbishop Emeritus of Montreal, I address to you my heartfelt condolences as well as to his family and his former diocesan faithful. While we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, I beg him to receive in the light of eternal life this faithful Pastor who served the Church with devotion not only in his dioceses but also at the national level as President of the Episcopal Conference of Canada, while being a member heard in several Roman Dicasteries. Zealous and attentive Pastor to the challenges of the contemporary Church, he took part actively in the 1994 Synod of Bishops on “Consecrated Life and Its Mission in the Church and in the World,” and he was one of the key actors at the 1997 Synod on America. As a pledge of consolation I address to you a particular Apostolic Blessing, as well as to the family of the deceased Cardinal and those close to him, his former diocesans of Montreal, as well as all persons who will take part in the funeral celebration.
FRANCISCUS PP
[Translation by ZENIT]
