Holy Qurbono and Incense Prayer for the Soul of Pope Francis at San Gregorio VII, Rome

Rome – 28 April 2025
In a spirit of deep faith and filial gratitude, a Holy Qurbono and incense prayer for the repose of the soul of His Holiness Pope Francis were offered at the Parish Church of San Gregorio VII, Rome, under the chief celebrancy of His Eminent Beatitude Cardinal Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.

The liturgical service was conducted at the Parrocchia San Gregorio VII, a parish deeply linked to the Church of Rome and to the memory of Pope Saint Gregory VII, the eleventh-century reforming Pontiff. Built between 1960 and 1961 to serve a parish erected by Pope Pius XII in 1952, San Gregorio VII today stands as both a place of worship and a monument to the enduring reforming spirit of the Church.

Since 2012, His Eminent Beatitude Cardinal Baselios Cleemis has been the Cardinal Priest of this very Church—a singular bond uniting the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church with the heart of the Roman Church, and with the spiritual lineage of the See of Peter.

The Holy Qurbono was celebrated in profound reverence, invoking the mercy of the Risen Lord upon the soul of Pope Francis, who guided the Universal Church with simplicity, courage, and unwavering faith. Following the Divine Liturgy, incense was offered in solemn remembrance, rising like silent prayers towards heaven.

The service gathered priests, religious, seminarians, and faithful residing in Rome, many of whom were moved by the deeply Eastern liturgical character of the prayer. It was a testament to the unity of the Catholic Church, wherein the varied rites and traditions converge around the single sacrifice of Christ.

A Church of History, A Church of Communion

The Parish of San Gregorio VII carries a distinguished legacy. It was declared a Titular Church in 1969 and has hosted the visits of Popes, notably Saint John Paul II in 1986. Since 2015, it has been entrusted to the pastoral care of the Franciscan Friars Minor of the Umbrian Province of St. Francis.

The parish’s architecture itself, with its soaring concrete piers and luminous walls of glass, speaks of a Church whose foundations are strong yet whose soul remains open to the light of the Spirit.

Cardinal Cleemis’ connection to San Gregorio VII thus imbued the liturgy with a particularly intimate significance: a son of the Eastern Church offering prayers in the heart of the Latin Church, for a Pontiff who sought throughout his life to heal divisions and renew the Church’s witness before the world.

Prayer for a Faithful Servant

In the Holy Qurbono and incense prayers, the faithful gathered not only to mourn the passing of Pope Francis but also to offer thanks for his life—a life spent building bridges, defending the poor, and calling the Church to the peripheries.

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, in union with the whole Church universal, now lifts its prayers that the soul of Pope Francis may be welcomed into the eternal embrace of the Father, and that his example may continue to inspire those who walk the path of faith.

“Let the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace and rise in glory.”