Servant to the Lord and Church

Upon learning of the death of Cardinal Eugenio Dal Corso, Bishop emeritus of Benguela, Angola, who passed away at age 85 on 20 October, Pope Francis expressed his condolences in a telegram sent on Wednesday, 23 October, to Bishop Domenico Pompili of Verona, Italy.

In his message, the Pope expressed his sadness for the late Cardinal’s passing, and he offered his “heartfelt condolences” to all the members of the local Church, his family and all those taking part in the funeral rite. The passing of the Cardinal “has moved my heart, remembering him as a faithful religious in Italy and a zealous missionary in Argentina and Angola”, the message reads. “He served the Lord and the Church, dedicating himself especially to the weakest and most fragile people, to whom he bore witness to the love of Christ”.

Pope Francis concluded by reassuring, “I raise prayer for the soul of this good servant, so that, accompanied by the Virgin Mary, he may be received into the eternal banquet of heaven”, and by imparting his Apostolic Blessing on the late Cardinal’s order, the Diocese of Verona, his family, and all those mourning his departure.

Bishop Eugenio Dal Corso, psdp, was born in Italy. He was a member of the Poor Servants of Divine Providence, and worked as a missionary in Argentina and Angola. In 1997, he was named Bishop of Saurimo, Angola, by Pope St John Paul ii. In 2008, he was appointed Bishop of Benguela by Pope Benedict xvi, and, in October 2019, Pope Francis created him Cardinal.