I get a daily email from the Catholic News Service summarizing the pope's doings of the previous 24 hours, generally including excerpts from his addresses. Usually I just look at the subject headings, and if it's all appointments of bishops and other Church business I delete the email without reading it. If there's an indication that the pope was speaking about something that interests me, I'll at least skim that part. This prayer for the dead appeared a week or so ago. At first glance I thought it was the pope's own; then I saw that it's attributed to "the Passionist Antonio Rungi," of whom I had not previously heard. At any rate, Francis chose it, and it sounds like something he would say. I have some significant misgivings about his governance of the Church, but when he speaks from the heart of the Gospel he's very powerful.

God of infinite mercy, we entrust to Your immense goodness all those who have left this world for eternity, where you await all humanity, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ Your Son, who died to save us from our sins. Look not Lord, at our poverty, misery and human weaknesses when we present ourselves before You to be judged in happiness or condemned. Gaze upon us with pity, born of Your tender heart and help us to walk the path of purification. May none of your children be lost to the eternal fires of hell, where repentance is no more. We entrust to You Lord, the souls of our beloved departed, of those who died without the comfort of the Sacraments or who did not have the opportunity to repent, not even at the end of their life. May no one fear the encounter with You at the end of their earthly pilgrimage, in the hope of being welcomed within the embrace of your infinite mercy. May sister death find us in prayerful vigilance, and full of all the good we have done during our existence, be it long or short. Lord, may nothing distance us from you on this earth, may everything and everyone support us in our ardent hope to serenely and eternally rest in You. Amen.