Pope Francis has sent a telegram of condolence, following the death of the former Archbishop of Budapest, Hungary.
Cardinal László Paskai died at the age of 88, he had served in the role for fifteen years, from 1987 to 2002.
Vatican Radio has reported that he had suffered a long battle with cancer.
He was one of the Cardinal electors in the 2005 papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI.
219 members remain in the College of Cardinals, 120 are still eligible to take part in a Papal election.
It reads: "I offer prayerful condolences to you, the clergy, men and women religious and lay faithful of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest, and I thank Almighty God for his many years of service to the Church in Hungary.
"In commending his soul to the merciful love of the Father and uniting myself spiritually to all assembled for the solemn funeral rites, I impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Lord."
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Support Us
Article by Hannah Tooley
Hannah Tooley is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
