FRENCH HOMEWORK

My French Club meets monthly at a local coffee shop. One part of each meeting is sharing something we’ve written on a designated topic—a way to practice our writing skills and encourage discussion. (Thank goodness for Google Translate!)

These assignments have also given me the opportunity to connect regularly with my bilingual granddaughter, Vivian, who has become my chief editor and “tense checker.” What a wonderful and unexpected spin-off from my attempt to rediscover some of my French roots.

Here is my latest installment.

                                                            Les Jeux Olympiques

J’aime plusieurs sports olympiques. Toutefois, permettez-moi de commencer par les sports que je n’aime pas regarder aux Jeux olympiques.

Il y a le curling, un sport que je peux voir tout le temps à la télévision en hiver. Il y a aussi la luge… vraiment ? Glisser sur une pente comme des enfants ! Il n'est pas nécessaire d'être un athlète pour cela. Quelle est leur stratégie ?

Et puis, le biathlon : un sport qui consiste à faire du ski de fond tout en tenant un fusil. On dirait que quelqu’un a dit : « Nous avons besoin de quelques sports supplémentaires. Ajoutons le tir à la carabine à un parcours de ski de fond. Qu'est-ce qui pourrait mal tourner ? »

Passons maintenant aux sports que je préfère. J'aime beaucoup le hockey. Notre équipe canadienne est passionnante à regarder et j'espère qu'elle pourra remporter la médaille d'or. J'aime aussi regarder le ski alpin. Les skieurs atteignent des vitesses incroyables sur des pistes rapides. En fait, on installe des filets de sécurité pour rattraper les skieurs qui tombent. Les concurrents risquent leur vie et leur intégrité physique pour remporter une médaille pour leur pays.

Parmi les seize sports olympiques d’hiver, je crois que le hockey et le ski alpin sont les plus spectaculaires à regarder.

---

OLD SCHOOL?

Having a landline phone and a Hotmail account.

Asking for paper bills instead of online notices.

Thinking 6-7 is a number and not a grade school catchphrase.

Receiving home delivery of the Toronto Star on weekends.

Avoiding a digital wallet and the world of memes.

Admittedly, I cling to many habits and thought processes that mark me as a baby boomer.

However, here's one that I will keep regardless of social trends.... the practice of addressing people like doctors and clergy by their formal title.  A recent article in the Toronto Star highlighted the experience of one student in an alternative school in Ontario who was encouraged to call her teachers by their first names in an effort to break down barriers and see teachers as human beings. This familiarity supposedly deepened mutual respect and allowed teacher authority to become grounded in connection.

Interestingly, Quebec is now going the other way with new legislation that will mandate the use of titles and formal address. 

Having teachers as mentors and friends is a good idea, especially in classrooms strained by social media, polarization, and disconnection. However, like a good parent whose children call them mom or dad and not Bill and Maggie, I think using titles like mister or miss is a good introduction into how the world really operates. 

Yes, our world needs collaboration and friendship.  But that need not come at the cost of giving up the natural respect that all people in public deserve.

MONOPOLY

As a child, I never liked the game of Monopoly....just too long and methodical with one winner and so many broke losers. For me, the game's only saving graces were the free $200 for passing GO and the chance to play the game using the wooden milk bottle game piece.

A modern-day game of Monopoly is now being played out as recent figures reveal that the world currently has 3,028 billionaires whose collective wealth has grown to an astonishing 14% of world GDP. In Canada, the wealthiest one percent of Canadians increased their share of total Canadian wealth from 18% to 26% between 2010 and 2019 while the wealth of every other income group in Canada declined.

I wonder where we're headed.

I used to watch Downton Abbey and cringed as I observed the upstairs-downstairs class system, the tea pourers versus the tea drinkers.

But really, aren't we all part of that two-class system now?

JEOPARDY ANSWERS for 2025

Here are the answers to my 2025 Jeopardy quiz.

How many did you get?

Here goes...

1. December 13 should be a national holiday in West Plains, Missouri. in honour of this man.

    Dick Van Dyke

2. This math person now leads 1.4 billion believers.

    Pope Leo

3. Downing seventy,  he captured his seventeenth championship this past July 4th.

    Joey Chestnut

4. The 900 Club has one member now.

    Alexander Ovechkin...He's now up to 914 and counting.

5. Number 1 on Netflix and with every 13-year-old girl on the planet.

    KPop Demon Hunters

    

6. This former tennis star traded in her tennis racket for a different sort of one in late July.    

    Eugenie Bouchard

7. He set an infamous record by shooting 19 on a single hole at a September PGA event.  

    John Daly

8. Inflation? This item, which sold for a mere 10 cents 1939, got 9.12 million at auction in November.

   A Superman No. 1 comic book

9. Did you go 18? Loyal fans did in this heartbreaking series?

    Blue Jays vs LA Dodgers

10. Their two reunion concerts rocked Toronto fans in August. 

    Oasis

WELCOME BABY GIRL

New life, new hope, new beginnings!

Our family welcomed Abigail Alexandra into the world on New Year's Eve. She will be a cherished sister for her brothers Elliott and Patrick. 

Abby and her mother Carolyn are doing well and came home yesterday.

Gramma and Papa are feeling so very blessed. 

What a way to go into a bright New Year. 

 

NEW YEAR'S DAY 2026

I am a New Year's resolution sort of person.

I know many eschew the practice but I for one believe that goal setting is important especially as one gets older. 

Simple goals, big goals, self-improvement goals... they're all good as they encourage one to move forward and not be content in a Lazy Boy chair.

That said, my goal for 2026 is to improve my French.

I appreciate my sister Yvonne who has worked hard at maintaining her fluency in 'la belle langue' even travelling to Quebec for an immersive experience a few years ago. 

I also admire some of the people at my French Club who belong to platforms like Duolingo and Babbel. My granddaughter Isla has been learning Spanish for the past two years on one of these sites and is now able to freely converse in a new language.

One difficulty I have encountered is finding a simple French book to read that's beyond the level of Tintin or Babar. 

Any suggestions?

I'm not hoping for a miracle but I know I can do better...and isn't that what a New Year's resolution is all about.

Jeopardy 2025

Time for my 15th annual jeopardy quiz.

As usual, the questions are based on events of the past year, some well known while others obscure. As usual, there is a strong bias for sports questions.

Feel free to send your answers to me at mjdaoust@hotmail.com for a chance to win a tin of caramel corn or a used pickleball paddle.

Here goes...

1. December 13 should be a national holiday in West Plains, Missouri. in honour of this man.

2. This math person now leads 1.4 billion believers.

3. Downing seventy,  he captured his seventeenth championship this past July 4th.

4. The 900 Club has one member now.

5. Number 1 on Netflix and with every 13 year old girl on the planet.

6. This former tennis star traded in her tennis racket for a different sort of one in late July.    

7. He set an infamous record shooting 19 on a single hole at a September PGA event.  

8. Inflation? This item, which sold for a mere 10 cents 1939, got 9.12 million at auction in November.

9. Did you go 18? Loyal fans did in this heart breaking series?

10. Their two reunion concerts rocked Toronto fans in August. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2025

May the message that is Christmas fill your heart today.

Not sure about you but it seems these past few months have been so very negative.

We all need the peace and hope that Christmas promises.

My mom was well into her nineties and still behaving like an expectant child as she would shake her gifts under the tree and try to guess what was under the wrappings.

May we all hold onto the joy of this day and the expectation that the very best is yet to come.

To one and all, a very Merry Christmas. 

CHRISTMAS NEARS

Seems everyone has their own way of getting ready for Christmas. 

For some, it's cooking and baking. For others, it's sending cards or supporting a local charity. For one dear friend, it's about making festive aprons for her close neighours. My son Derek was raising holiday spirits last week by directing a Christmas play at his elementary school. 

For my part, it was making some caramel corn for gift giving, working on building a cardboard train for the kids at Hollland Bloorview and visiting my dear friend Sandra Boetto and her husband Mario this morning.

Sandra is doing really well and looking forward to the Christmas season with her family. She is currently undergoing a regime of infusions and although it leaves her tired, it seems to be working wonders for her.

I do like Christmas miracles.

Feel free to share yours with me. 

We all crave light and hope at this time of the year.

HAPPY 100 th BIRTHDAY

You make the world a brighter place!

Congratulations, Dick Van Dyke. 

MESSY SAINTS

Here's a post a good friend sent my way last week.

Was she trying to tell me something? Certainly, no halo here. Without hair, mine keeps falling off.

Sometimes we think of saints as living in unapproachable light. And we think that if we wanted to be saints, we’d have to be perfect, just like them. 

So instead of being inspired by them we’re deflated by them because “perfect” feels “impossible.” Or at best, while we might be inspired by them, we’re not challenged by them. I mean… they’re saints. They’re superheroes. They can fly and shoot webs. That’s a whole different category from us schleps. We’re missing the point of the saints. The message isn’t that they merely need to be admired. The message is that you… yes you… can become one. 

Today I want to share the stories of a few messy saints you may not have heard of to give you some hope. 

St. Mark from China was a doctor. He got sick and took opium for his pain and became addicted. He tried to quit and failed. And because of a lack of understanding about the nature of addiction at the time, he was denied confession and the Eucharist. He never stopped going to Mass and praying, and he often gave free medical treatment to the poor. On July 7, 1900, 120 Christians were rounded up during a persecution and told to renounce their faith. Mark and his family was among them. They all refused and chose martyrdom instead. Mark asked to be killed last so that no one else would have to die alone. When his family had all been martyred, he was given one last chance to renounce the faith and he refused. He died with a full-blown opium addiction, and was canonized by John Paul II in the year 2000. 

Or take St. Drogo, who always struggled with feelings of guilt that his mother died in childbirth, spent his life in prayer, and had an extreme physical ailment that deformed him and drove him to become a hermit. He’s the patron saint of people who are considered unattractive, and, of coffee. (Someone please open a St. Drogo’s coffee shop!) 

Or take St. Benedict Joseph Labre. He struggled with severe depression and social anxiety. So often we think our mental and emotional struggles make us “less-than.” It’s helpful to remember that even that kind of cross can make you holy when you offer it back to God in love. 

Or consider St. Francis Xavier Cabrini. She was amazing. She only lived to be 67 and she started 67 schools, orphanages, and hospitals—mostly to help immigrants. I know a priest who met an old sister that worked with her. “What was she like?” he asked, in awe of someone who knew a saint. “She was a jerk!” the woman said. Apparently, being blessed with a personality type that got that much done in her relatively short life also had its downside, and some people felt steamrolled by her, despite her good intentions and genuine holiness.  

But the king of all dysfunctional saints is the good thief. He was crucified next to Jesus for his crimes, didn’t do anything good that we know of, and at the end of his life simply said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” Jesus famously replied, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” He’s the first man we know who went straight to heaven. In some ways, that makes a thief the first canonized saint. The Church refers to him as Saint Dismas. (I have a special love for him. My grandfather who tried and failed to beat alcoholism and died of liver cancer saw a vision of that good thief shortly before he died.)

If you look close enough, all the saints had scuffs and chips in their halos. And all their lives bear this message: even you can become one of us.

God bless you,

Chris Stefanick

Real Life Catholic

Comment dit-on cela en francais?

Have you heard about Probus? 

Their website reads... 

The PROBUS Club of Toronto was established in 2014 to meet the needs of Toronto-based retirees.

With monthly meetings and dozens of regular activities and special events for retired and semi-retired men and women, we create a place of enjoyment and fellowship, emphasizing the Probus motto “Our Strength is Fellowship; Our Success is Participation."  Some of our most popular activities and events include bookclubs, dining, discussions, walking and hiking, gardening, geocaching, golf, movies, pickleball, theatre and the arts, writing and more.

Terry and I signed up for the Probus Thornhill group in September. Quickly, I found myself involved in a bridge group and a French club. 

The French club meets monthly at a local coffee shop. A few of the members are reasonably proficient in French while some are quite limited. I'm right in the middle. Certainly, I'm renewing my interest in speaking and understanding French. In fact, my car radio now has two different French stations among the presets. 

I must also add that I have great admiration for those in our group who struggle with the language. How brave it is to leave one's comfort zone and try something new.

In fact, I believe that's the secret to staying young. That and good genes.

Comedian Red Skelton once shared that he made a conscious effort to learn at least one new thing every day of his life. Red Skelton lived to age 84. 

THANK YOU BLUE JAYS

OCTOBER MADNESS

What were you doing at 2:45 am this morning?

If you were like me, you were watching our beloved Toronto Blue Jays give their best against the LA Dodgers in the 18 inning marathon third game of the World Series.

A bit of madness? I suppose so but it's not often you get to watch history in the making. Although our boys came up short, it was a valiant effort and something tells me that their resilience and ability to cope with adversity will be on display tonight in Game 4.

Yes, I'll be there. After all, I'm not at all sure I can wait another 32 years for the next Blue Jay appearance in World Series. 

                              Go Jays!!!

UNDER LOCK AND KEY

Have you ever had to find a store clerk to unlock a cabinet so you could purchase an item?

Maybe electronics, a medication, alcohol, a firearm? I get it.

Even things like baby formula and hair care products are often locked up due to concerns over retail crime. But PICKLEBALLS! 

I recently went to Canadian Tire to purchase some balls for outdoor play. Next to a display of tennis balls and rackets was a locked plexiglass case with pickleballs. Really?

For a moment I felt like a criminal trying to get a hit of cocaine. Not a salesperson in sight, I went to the service desk. After a five minute wait, (Sorry, sir. It appears Larry is on break), a young man appeared, a set of keys dangling in his right hand. He unlocked the case, handed me plastic cylinder of yellow balls and then accompanied me to the cash. Did he think my red and white striped tee-shirt made me look like a criminal? Did my running shoes make him think I might make a break for it?

I realize that pickleball is very popular these days but what's next under lockdown? Microwave popcorn? Triple A batteries? Kraft dinner?

I do like Kraft dinner.

THE PAPERBACK IS HERE!

 

 The paperback version of my book has arrived on Amazon.

Very exciting.

See below for the link.

For all my Canadian readers, I promise a jar of strawberry jam with every order. 

Anything to boost sales.

Keep leading with your heart.

Mike

Available now on Amazon: USA: https://a.co/d/dKcMxv4

CAN: https://a.co/d/hz7mNSp

 

 

BOOK LAUNCH

It's been a long process getting my bridge book from an idea to a 400-page volume. The genesis of the book came on New Year's Eve 2022 when I was discussing resolutions for the New Year with my daughter Janice and her husband. As some of you may know, I am a New Year resolutionist.

When I suggested writing a bridge book for beginners, my daughter insisted that I tell a story about four people learning the game together. 

"People learn better through stories, Dad", she insisted. "No one wants to just read about a bunch of rules and conventions."

And so I set out to tell a story. Six months later, I was ready to test run my book. 

Your dialogue needs work, your characters lack depth, your lessons are flawed, your book needs to give the reader the opportunity to practice using apps. And those were just comments from my immediate family.

Needless to say, I put the book on a back shelf to collect dust. 

New Year's 2023 came along and with it another project. I decided to put together a book for Brebeuf College's 60 th anniversary by collecting stories from staff and students of the school both past and present. With the help of former colleague Sandra Boetto, we collected almost 150 memories. 

But what to do with them? By a fortuitous happenstance, I was introduced to book designer Luis Flavio Nunes who helped us produce a successful product.

In my interactions with Luis, he discovered I had tried my hand at writing a bridge book. 

"Can I have a look?" he asked.

You see, Luis knows a thing or two about bridge. He has helped bridge guru Barbara Seagram get a few of her books to print and is the man responsible for all of her newsletters.

"I think you might have something there Mike," he wrote, ever encouraging. 

And so began our twelve month project. In fact, Luis began by drawing up four pages of notes on the characters in the book. I was a bit surprised but quickly realized that writing a book, unless you're Stephen King, requires lots of planning. In fact, Luis explained that it might take 14 or 15 revisions to get it right. I scoffed at the idea which I now realize is more fact than fiction.

When the book was finished, I was gratified to get a Canadian Bridge Champion to review it. Dave Colbert, a fellow math head from my teaching days, was kind enough to make sure I got all the salient bridge pieces in the book correct. 

The book is called Bringing Us Together One Hand at a Time and it's now available on Amazon as a e-book. A paperback version of the book is in the works.

I'm certainly not out to make a lot of money from this venture but rather, to grow the game of bridge. And in the process, hopefully bring people together, one hand at a time. 

A CAUTIONARY TALE

 The phone rang too early for it to be a telemarketer. Terry took it upstairs and after a few minutes came down to the main floor to share with me.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"It was our grandson. He has the worst cold. I could barely recognize his voice. He said he was on some sinus meds to help but he really sounded rough. He called to tell me that he and a buddy were out driving in a friend's car last night at the university and had run a stop sign. The police stopped them and when they checked the car, they found some drugs in the trunk."

My stomach began to tighten.

"He passed their drug test but he's being held at the station. He asked for $5,000 to bail him out. And he insisted I tell no one about his dilemma."

Warning bells started to go off.

$5,000?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, that clued me in too. That's when I asked him what his birthday was. And then click. ..the phone went dead."

We've heard of such scams before but when they happen to you, it really undermines your trust in others.

Be wary! There are some very unscrupulous people out there. 

THE REST OF THE STORY

Sad news yesterday of the passing of hockey legend, Ken Dryden. As well as being an extraordinary goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens and Team Canada '72, he was also an author, teacher, lawyer and federal cabinet minister. 

When he appeared in the 1971 Stanley Cup playoffs after only six games at the NHL level, he was a virtual unknown. By the end of those playoffs, when he hoisted the Championship trophy and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, he was known from coast to coast for his unique style and posture in the goal.

It's reported that he genuinely cared about people, about hearing them, and about helping them along their path. That sense of caring and responsibility definitely came from his parents, Murray and Margaret Dryden, who founded Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) in 1970, a charity that provides bed kits to children (aged six to twelve) in developing countries. Our friend Clarence DeYoung has been involved with SCAW for over thirty years and speaks passionately about his visits to countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to distribute these kits. The charity's operating expenses are covered by an endowment from the Drydens and 100% of donations go to the bedkit contents. So remarkable!

Indeed, Ken Dryden's legacy went far beyond hockey.

And know you know why.

MY PROJECT

Over the past twelve months, I have been involved in a writing project that has taken my focus away from this blog.

It's a primer on learning the game of bridge.

There are probably hundreds of such books but hopefully none that have taken my storytelling approach.

I am now in the process of deciding how to publish what I have written. Much to my surprise, I have discovered that Canadian publishers don't come cheaply. It costs at least $2,000 to get any book to the public.

As an alternative, there is the Amazon Kindle Direct approach, a self-publishing company that handles about 4 million books a year. Although cost-wise appealing, there's the danger that one's book simply gets lost in the shuffle. 

Stay tuned.

Any help or suggestions would be most appreciated.

AMERICAN DIRT

Have you ever read a book that stays with you days after you've finished it?

That was my experience after reading the novel, American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins. It's a thriller about a mother and her eight-year- old son's attempt to flee the corruption and violence of Acapulco, Mexico to the apparent safety of the United States.

Although it's a gruesome story in parts. It's also a story of courage and compassion, of love and generosity, of determination and devotion.

As well, it is written with a style that masterfully captures the range of emotions felt by the survivors of a family massacre. 

A powerful read and one that I recommend to anyone open to a drama that is all too realistic in today's world. 

0.2 SECONDS

I'm in the minority when it comes to watching football. 

In fact, any fan of the Canadian Football League is, its on-field product considered by most to be inferior to the glitz and professionalism of the National Football League.

However, I still persist in watching and usually enjoying the Canadian game, even if it does have anachronisms like the rouge and the rugby-style dropkick.

Recently, I've been surprised to see the scoreboard showing tenths of a second as the clock runs down in the final minute of each half of the game and wondered about the need for such precision....until last week's Montreal vs British Columbia game.

Montreal had a two-point lead with just three seconds to play. BC in Montreal's territory, they completed a short pass to Montreal's 35 as the game clock hit zero. But wait....the clock went out for a moment and then came back on...showing 0.2 seconds left to play. Really?

British Columbia made the field goal to win the game and spoil my evening...lol.

I guess every second, I mean, every split second really does count in the Canadian game. 

A MIRACLE in the MAKING

Just when we thought our extended family was complete, our daughter Carolyn and her husband Chris surprised us with the news that they are expecting their third child in early January.

What a wonderful way to ring in the New Year.

Their two boys, ages 7 and 5, are delighted and have already begun to make room for the new baby in their hearts and minds with welcoming drawings and hugs to mummy's wee bump.

Such a magical time.

Indeed, we are very blessed.

ET CUM SPIRITU TUO... OH OH

A recent article in the Toronto Star suggested that our new Pope may be rocking a more elegant style as he makes public appearances wearing red satin capes and crosses held by a double-stranded silken gold cords. Certainly, a far cry from the much simpler appearance of his predecessor, Pope Francis.

This return to the sartorial look of the past has not only the heads of fashionistas turning, it's making me wonder if Pope Leo is considering a return to the more conservative elements of the Church like the Latin Mass.

Please don't go there!

I have nothing against Latin. In fact, back in the last century, I quite enjoyed learning all about its symmetry and order. I still remember that 'nauta' (sailor), 'agricola' (farmer) and 'incola' (inhabitant)  are some of the rare masculine nouns in the first declension and that 'sum', 'esse', and 'fui' are parts of the irregular verb 'to be.' And don't get me started on the dative case, no....absolutely nothing to do with wooing the opposite sex.

Like chariots and gladiators, Latin is a relic from the past and as such, should be left there.

Show me a dark-haired person singing a hymn in Latin and I'll show you a person wearing a wig. 

The Catholic Church made significant strides under the tenure of Pope Francis. Let's hope our new Pope will continue to look forward and that his fashion sense never gets in the way of his common sense.

A MAN for ALL SPORTS SEASONS

Last night's hockey game loss to the Florida Panthers was a devastating one for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fan base, who have been waiting for almost sixty years for a playoff breakthrough.

I couldn't help but think of my friend Ed Durham as I watched the game. Ed passed away last week at the age of 90 after hip surgery. He was a big Maple Leaf fan who always hoped they could return to their glory days of the 60s.

Ed played hockey at the minor league level as a young man and continued playing on pick-up teams well into his 70s. On more than one occasion, he thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to play against some retired Leafs like Bobby Baun, Red Kelly, and Bob Pulford in old-timer charity games. 

Ed loved all sports including pickleball which he played until the age of 84. 

I used to love hearing his sport stories from the past including the day he separated his shoulder sliding into home plate in a baseball game or the week that he and his parents drove to Pasadena, California from their family home in Manitoba to watch the 1952 Rose Bowl Game. I also learned that back in the 50s, you could get a driver's license at a small bait and tackle shop just outside of Winnipeg.

More recently, we enjoyed some NFL football games together. When the Buffalo Bills played the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs in 2023, he learned all about Taylor Swift. In the 2024 game, he put his allegiances to Buffalo aside as he cheered for the Chiefs to keep scoring so he could get another glimpse of that ‘music girl,’ he called her. 

Ed and his wife Heather, who passed away in 2019, used to enjoy curling together and every year since 1993, their son Ryan hosts a bonspiel at the Thornhill Country Club in support of spinal cord research. Ed was so very proud of his son's fundraisers which to date have raised almost $700,000.

Here's hoping Ed is now able to watch all the games he loves with his wife by his side. He was a good man and I miss him for his kindness and his love for all things sport-related.

May he rest in peace.

WELCOME POPE LEO

Here is a press release from the Archdiocese of Toronto. A hopeful piece, the only thing lacking is a mention that the new Pope has a degree in Mathematics from Villanova University in Philadelphia. If anyone can understand infinity, it's him.

Habemus Papam! Pope Leo XIV named 267th successor of Peter

Posted : May-08-2025

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A. of the United States has been elected the 267th Pope and has stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica as Pope Leo XIV.

Born in 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, the 69-year-old becomes the first US-born Pope in history. He is a past provincial prior for the Augustinian Province in Chicago and also previously served as a missionary in Peru.

It has been a long while since the Church has had a Pope taking the name of Leo, the last being Pope Leo XIII, elected in 1878 and serving until his death in 1903.

An emotional Prevost hesitated at first before speaking as the crowd cheered him on.

"We still have the sound in our ears of the weak voice of Pope Francis who was blessing Rome here," he said, speaking in Italian.

"Giving his blessing to the world on that day of Easter Sunday. Allow me to continue that same blessing. God loves everyone. Evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. So without fear, united, hand in hand, with God in ourselves, we go forward."

He added: "We are disciples of Christ … the world needs his light. Humanity needs him."

Leo then thanked his predecessor.

"May we all build bridges with dialogue … so that we can all be one people in peace. Thank you, Pope Francis."

In his first comments in Italian, Pope Leo XIV says he wants this message of peace to “enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are.”

Paying tribute to Pope Francis, he urges faithful to “move forward, without fear, united, hand in hand with God and with each other.”

He also thanks fellow cardinals for choosing him for the role.

In his first comments, the new pope calls for the light of Christ to serve “as the bridge” to God’s love.

He recalls the words of St Augustine:

For you I am a bishop; but with you I am a Christian.
He also says a few words addressed to the church of Rome, and thanks his (now former) diocese in Chiclayo in Peru.

He leads the faithful in St Peter’s Square in prayer, with Ave Maria.

A HUMBLE SERVANT

The world said goodbye to Pope Francis today in a beautiful funeral service in front of thousands in St Peter's Square.

His wooden casket seemed in stark contrast to the stunning architecture that surrounded the event. 

Many have spoken about the Pope's compassion for the marginalized, his constant reminder of God's mercy for us, and his voice of reason in the midst a very unreasonable world.

However, I think one reporter said it best when he described Pope Francis as a shepherd who smelled like his sheep.

May you be richly rewarded for your humble service, Pope Francis.