Pope Francis attends funeral of Jesuit Father Diego Fares

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Francis attended the funeral of his Jesuit confrere and friend, Father Diego Fares on Thursday.

The Holy Father went to the funeral Mass held in the chapel of the Jesuit Curia near the Vatican and was seen among the rest of the community remembering the late priest on Thursday morning.

Fr. Antonio Spadaro, Editor-in-Chief of La Civiltà Cattolica, celebrated the Mass and gave the homily.

Concelebrating at the Mass were Jesuit Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and Father Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves, Prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy.

This is not the first time the Holy Father has made a special trip to attend the funeral for people who were dear to him.

Pope Francis had ventured outside the Vatican in the past to remember a former teacher and his late physician.

A sower in the field of so many's lives

Prior to Father Fares' passing, Pope Francis had visited him on July 10th at the Jesuit Canisio residence beside the Congregation's headquarters.

The funeral celebration was attended by numerous confreres and heads of Jesuit houses in Rome and by two sisters of the deceased priest.

During the homily, Father Spadaro recalled "Diego" as "a sower in the field of our lives and in the lives of so many."