Mass in Buenos Aires honours Pope Francis amid national mourning

• The mass took place at St. Joseph's Basilica in Flores, Pope Francis's home district.
• Over a thousand people attended the event, including the Vice President of Argentina.
• Archbishop Jorge Garcia Cuerva highlighted the significance of the reforms introduced by the Pope.

On Monday evening, 21 April, a mass commemorating Pope Francis was held at St. Joseph's Basilica in Flores. In this district of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio, who later became the head of the Catholic Church, was born and raised. The event drew crowds of the faithful who wished to pay tribute to the first pope from Argentina.

More than a thousand people gathered in the basilica to participate in the mass for the eternal rest of Pope Francis. Among those present were the Vice President of Argentina, Victoria Villaruel, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel. The service was presided over by Archbishop Jorge Garcia Cuerva, the metropolitan of Buenos Aires.

During the mass, Archbishop Garcia Cuerva emphasised that Pope Francis was a figure unafraid to implement reforms and strive for transparency in the Church.

- The Pope did not silence issues; instead, he put them on the table and suggested that humanity take responsibility for them - said Garcia Cuerva, in reference to social exclusion issues.

Earlier that day, Garcia Cuerva conducted a mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires. Similar services were also held in other Argentine cities, such as Cordoba and La Plata. Following the death of Pope Francis, the country's authorities declared a seven-day national mourning period.

Pope Francis left a legacy that forever changed the face of the Catholic Church. His courage in addressing difficult topics and his pursuit of reforms will remain in the memory of the faithful around the world.