Father Sean Fortune's hope, like that of all believers, lay in the mercy of God and God - to use that phrase of the Pope's - was "rich in mercy", said the Bishop of Ferns, Dr Brendan Comiskey, at the priest's Requiem Mass yesterday.
Father Fortune, who was facing child abuse charges, committed suicide at his home in New Ross, Co Wexford, last week. The Mass was at St Patrick's Church, Gorey.
Bishop Comiskey said: "The whole purpose of the Christian life is quite simply to grow in the knowledge of how much God loves each and every one of us and to respond to this extraordinary mystery of God's love. A mystic in this view of things is not a person who performs great deeds for God by one who has a special insight into the great deeds God has done for him or her.
"At a Catholic funeral Mass, the church instructs the homilist not to eulogise - eulogise means `to speak well of someone' - the dead person but to tell the people of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, namely, the good news of God's love for him, for her, for all of us. This is to teach as Jesus did and Jesus always returned to the theme of `Let me tell you how much the Father loves you'.
"In a wonderfully vivid threefold picture of the lost farthing, the lost sheep, and the lost sons, he did just that. The woman had lost the farthing in the house, she searched for it, found it and celebrated finding it. The good shepherd lost a sheep outside of the fold. He left the 99 to their own devices and went to find the one.
"In the famous parable of the prodigal son - it should really be the parable of `the prodigal father and his two lost sons - the focus is on the father's love for both of them. Both of them were lost; one outside and one inside the house. Both spoke of what he did or didn't do but the Gospel or good news is really about the father's love.
"The Reformation, one of the greatest tragedies in Christian history, was, in part at any rate, over how to understand the same mystery of God's love and the place in salvation history of good works. The most recently declared `doctor of the church', St Therese, had this to say about all the heroic sufferings she offered to God throughout her life.
" `After earth's exile, I hope to go and enjoy you in the fatherland, but I do not desire to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for your love alone . . . In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you with empty hands, for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my work.'
"Empty hands has another meaning you know. Empty hands are available to receive gifts. Poet and mystic Patrick Kavanagh put it this way:
We must be nothing,
Nothing that God may make us something.
We must not touch the immortal material,
We must not daydream tomorrow's judgment.
God must be allowed to surprise us,
We have sinned, sinned like Lucifer,
By this anticipation. Let us lie down again,
Deep in anonymous humility, and God
May he find us worthy material or His hand.'
"Father Fortune's hope, like the hope of all believers, lies in the mercy of God, and God - to use that phrase of the Pope's, a biblical phrase - is `rich in mercy'. He, like all of us, depends totally and utterly on the love and mercy of God. This idea was beautifully captured in an old prayer which used to be said by the priest in the older liturgy after he had consumed the Sacred Host. He prayed silently: `What shall I give back to the Lord for all He has given to me?'
"I ask you, the family and friends of Father Sean Fortune, to believe above all, at this time of sadness in your lives, in the love and mercy of God. To lose a family member at any time is a great cross. To lose a brother, an uncle, a friend in these tragic circumstances is especially painful. Believe, hope and trust in the mercy of God, who knows all, loves all, and forgives all.
"This morning we are part of a mystery we will never grasp - the poor in spirit, however, can allow themselves to be grasped by it - because it can only be revealed to them. Pray for the gift of insight into the mystery of the very heart of God.
"Because of the nature of the thing do not grieve over what might have been, what you might have done or left undone - that is not the real world and God dwells only in the very real, in the present moment which is the only time that really exists. Pray over and over again that beautiful prayer: `God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.'
"There is another group of people to whom I wish to speak on this sad occasion. We are aware - because we live in the real world - that there was a trial process under way at the time of Father Fortune's death. Because of the sudden nature and timing of his death, this process has come to a premature end.
"This development in itself adds further to the pain of all those who had looked to this particular process to alleviate their plight. I take this opportunity on behalf of the Christian community, and indeed on my own behalf, to acknowledge their pain, to ask for prayers for them that they may find peace of mind and some healing.
"I recognise that, because of the particular circumstances, there may be reluctance on the part of some to avail of any offer of help from the church. Nevertheless, I once again offer the service of the diocese and my own services to help in whatever way we can. God strengthen you, God comfort you. Hope in God, believe in him still.