Pope’s condolence at the death of Cardinal Tauran

“Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, whom I entrust to God's mercy, has profoundly marked the life of the universal Church,” Pope Francis wrote in the condolence telegram to Geneviève Dubert, the sister of the late cardinal, the President of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. 

The 74-year old cardinal passed away on July 5 at Hartford, U.S., where he was undergoing treatment for Parkinson’s disease. 

The Holy Father noted that the cardinal “entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See, and exercised with competence, among others, the post of Secretary for Relations with States.”   “Appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to head the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, he was an advisor who was listened to and appreciated, particularly because of the relationships of trust and esteem he was able to establish with the Muslim world.”

“Because of his spirit of service and his love for the Church,” the Pope wrote, “I had named him Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.”  A Camerlengo is a cardinal who takes charge of the affairs of the Catholic Church during the sede vacante or the period between two papacies. 

Pope Francis said he vividly recalled Cardinal Tauran as a “man of profound faith who courageously served the Church of Christ to the end despite the burden of illness.”   

The Holy Father commended the cardinal to the peace and joy in the Lord, and as a sign of consolation bestowed his blessing to Dubert, her family and all those mourning him.