Feb 10 2007
The Great Anti-Mafia Cardinal - Salvatore Pappalardo (1918-2006)
Following the brutal assassination of Palermitan Magistrate Giovanni Falcone at Capaci on May 23, 1992, Cardinal Pappalardo gave a moving, harsh speech at Palermo’s Cathedral during the funeral of the late Magistrate, his wife and three of their bodyguards. Quoting directly from Italian part of his speech, Pappalardo without any fear said: “Ma e certamente motivo, e lo sappiamo, di particolare sgomento l’avere appreso che il giudice Falcone si muoveva in via e con mezzi che dovevano rimanere coperti dal piu sicuro riserbo. Chi li conosceva? Chi li ha rivelati ai nemici dei giudici? Mandante ed esecutori.”
Throughout the years he also served as President of the Sicilian Episcopal Conference and Vice-President of the Italian Bishop’s Conference. President Sandro Pertini (1896-1990), decorated Pappalardo with the title of Knight of the Grand Cross of the Italian Republic. The Cardinal resigned the pastoral government of the Archdiocese on April 4, 1996 at the age of 77 and lost the right to participate in the Conclave when turned 80 years of age on September 23, 1998.
On Friday, December 8, 2006, feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, Cardinal Pappalardo celebrated that which was to be his last mass at the Parish Church of St. Gregory the Great in Boccadifalco, Palermo. He celebrated earlier that year the fortieth anniversary of his Episcopal Consecration. On Sunday, December 10, 2006, in the early hours of the morning, Cardinal Salvatore Pappalardo died unexpectedly at the Casa Diocesana of Piazza Baida, 1 in Palermo, at the age of 88. Starting from 5pm, of that very same day, his body was exposed in the Filangeri Hall of the Archiepiscopal Palace for the priests to visit. From 6pm, the faithful were also able to visit and pay their respects. The exposition of the body continued all night and on Monday, December 11. Hundreds of Sicilian people came to visit his exposed body. The Sicilian people showed how immensely grateful they were for the Cardinal’s interventions through the years as a foe to the Mafia. At 7pm, his body was transferred to the Metropolitan Cathedral and exposed until midnight. At 9pm there was a prayer vigil in the Cathedral conducted by the Archiepiscopal Seminary. On Tuesday, December 12, from 7am to noon, the exposition continued. Holy Mass was celebrated in the morning at 7am, 7.45am and 9am. At 10am a celebration of the Office of Readings by the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter took place. The Cathedral reopened at 3pm.
At 4pm, the Exequial Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi, Archbishop of Palermo and successor of the late Cardinal, who also delivered the homily. The Bishops of Sicily, the Metropolitan and Palatine Chapters, as well as several priests concelebrated in the funeral. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals and Secretary of State Emeritus, presided the ceremony in the name of Pope Benedict XVI. Msgr. Paolo Romeo, Titular Archbishop of Vulturia and Nuncio in Italy also participated in the ceremony. Immediately after the mass, the body of the late Cardinal was buried in the left side wall of the Chapel of Santa Cristina, in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Palermo, facing the vault of his predecessor, Cardinal Francesco Carpino. Cardinal Salvatore Pappalardo was the eighth Cardinal to die in the year 2006.
by Eman Bonnici, Saturday, 10 February, 2007 http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=266691&pid=92
