At Mass for late Pontiff, Cardinal Gambetti asks: Are we a Church of goats or sheep? (Vatican Press Office)

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, OFM Conv, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, celebrated the fourth of the novendiali Masses for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis (booklet, video).

In his homily, Cardinal Gambetti contrasted sheep, “who do not rebel, are faithful, meek, care for the lambs and the weakest of the flock,” with goats, “who want independence, challenge the shepherds and the other animals with their horns, leap over the other goats as a sign of dominance, faced with danger think of themselves and not of the rest of the flock,” and thus “are destined for eternal fire. It is natural to wonder: at a personal and institutional level, which of the two styles do we embody?”

After recalling a Holocaust survivor’s tribute to the humanity of Pope Francis, Cardinal Gambetti said:

“Christian humanity” makes the Church a home to everyone. How relevant are the words spoken by Francis in his discussion with the Jesuits in Lisbon in 2023: “Everyone, everyone, everyone is called to live in the Church: never forget it!”