Dear brothers and sisters,

Gathered around the Altar, let us accompany our brother Paul Emil Tscherrig, Cardinal, as he presents himself before the Lord to receive the reward for the good he has done in this life and forgiveness for the failings that human frailty may have caused.

This is the great and solemn moment of his encounter with the Lord, whom he served so generously, with the Friend at whose side he walked faithfully throughout his entire life, more than half of which was spent in the service of the Apostolic See in various Papal Representations and in the Secretariat of State.

Through his work – often inconspicuous, yet nonetheless diligent and arduous, typical of the ministry he exercised – he contributed to the growth of the Kingdom whose full realization was described to us in the first Reading: the Kingdom in which the sea of chaos is no more, and instead he New Jerusalem shines forth, built upon the foundation of the Apostles, illuminated by the light of the Lamb and adorned by the merits of the Saints.

His commitment as a diplomat, and before that as a Shepherd of the Church, saw this brother of ours work for many years, with patience and self-sacrifice, to bring together in harmony the peoples whom obedience had entrusted to his care (cf. Ps 121), whilst also facing the obstacles and challenges that a Papal Representative is called to embrace for the good of all. He carried out his mission first as a collaborator in various nunciatures, until his appointment, in 1996, as apostolic nuncio in Burundi; then in Trinidad and Tobago and in various nations of the Caribbean, South Korea and Mongolia; subsequently in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway; then in Argentina, before reaching Italy and San Marino in 2017. His vast ecclesial and international experience bore witness to his willingness and ability to adapt, in his charity as a pastor, to very different environments: places and peoples to which he was sent, in the name of the Holy Father, to forge bonds of communion between the local Churches and the Apostolic See, as well as to strengthen ties of friendship.

Now Cardinal Paul Emil will meet his Lord, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of his existence (cf. Rev 21:6). We accompany him on this mysterious passage, illuminated by the Paschal Mystery, offering for him the Eucharistic Sacrifice and our prayers; and we wish to make this moment also an occasion for reflection and encouragement, to treasure the good of which he was, by God’s grace, a dispenser, with faith and devotion.

Pope Francis – whom Cardinal Tscherrig had met when the former was Archbishop of Buenos Aires – in an address to the Diplomatic Corps invited them to let hope flourish around them, as a response to the peoples’ desire and expectation of good (Address to the Diplomatic Corps, 9 January 2025). It is an invitation that we too can take up today, putting it into practice wherever each of us is called to serve and love our brothers and sisters. Our world is in great need of messengers who can help it rediscover trust, and the good witness of those whom God has chosen as His ministers can sustain us in responding to this call.

At the same time, however, faced with the mystery of death, we also wish to recall that, beyond the vicissitudes of this world, for the good of which we are called to devote ourselves in this life, the ultimate foundation of all our hope lies beyond history and is rooted in Christ’s Resurrection, in His glorious victory over sin and death.

The Gospel has reminded us how Jesus, shortly after His Passion, foreshadowed its mystery by bringing His friend Lazarus back to life; his release from the tomb is a sign to be viewed with faith, so that we may grasp its profound message. It is a sign that we can find in the many miracles of return to life that charity brings about, also through our ministry and our daily commitment to the Gospel. All this, however, speaks to us of the greatest miracle: that of the resurrection to eternal life, which crowns every effort and work of this life and fulfils its events beyond the limits of time.

This also recalls to us the essential dimension of the mission of the Church, which embraces and enlightens every level of her earthly activity. For she works in time, yet the goal of her labours lies beyond the realities of this world, aiming to “sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth” (Eph 1:10), and to our “redemption as God’s possession” (v. 14).

It is in this great light that we bid farewell to our dearest Cardinal Paul Emil Tscherrig, whilst in our hearts we feel the words that Jesus spoke to Martha addressed to us: “Your brother will rise” (Jn 11:23), “I am the resurrection and the life” (v. 25). We listen to them together with those chosen by the Cardinal himself, thirty years ago, as his motto on the occasion of his Episcopal Ordination: “Spes mea Christus”. Christ, our Lord, was his hope throughout his life: a hope that never failed him, for it was rooted in the love that God placed in his heart through the Holy Spirit (cf. Rom 5:5) and which is now fulfilled for ever.

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 15 May 2026