Vatican: Memorial Mass for slain MP Sir David Amess

Sir David Amess

Source: Vatican Media

A Memorial Mass was held in the Vatican on Friday, for British MP Sir David Amess, on the first anniversary of his assassination. Archbishop Paul Gallagher was chief celebrant at the Mass, held in the Irish Chapel of St Columbanus in St Peter's Basilica.

The event took place at the end of a three-day visit to the Vatican by The All Party Parliamentary Group on the Holy See, led by its co-chairs Sir Edward Leigh MP and Mike Kane MP, accompanied by the Catholic Duty Priest to Parliament, Canon Pat Browne. The British Ambassador to the Holy See, Christopher Trott also attended the Mass.

Sir David Amess was fatally stabbed in his constituency surgery on 15 October last year in Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. His killer, Ali Harbi Ali, was immediately arrested and following his trial was sentenced to life in prison. During his trial he told the court he had plans to target various MPs and said he was a member of the ISIS terror group.

In his message of closeness and condolences that led tributes at a Requiem Mass in Westminster Cathedral on 23 November 2021, Pope Francis praised Sir David Amess for years of "devoted public service".

The special tribute signed on the Pope's behalf by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin for the Westminster Requiem in November 2021 read: "His Holiness recalls with gratitude Sir David's years of devoted public service guided by his strong Catholic faith and evidenced in his deep concern for the poor and the disadvantaged, his commitment to the defence of God's gift of life, and his efforts to foster understanding and co-operation with the Holy See in its universal mission."

He called for mourners' resolve to be strengthened to "combat evil with good" and "build a society of ever greater justice."

The Pope's message was read by Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain in a ceremony that took place after the funeral in Amess' Southend Constituency.

During that funeral service for the devout Catholic and father-of-five, his family pleaded to mourners "to set aside their differences and show love and kindness to all."

Two days after the assassination, Pope Francis expressed his shock and sadness over the attack during his Angelus address, and issued an appeal in which he said "please, abandon the path of violence, which is always a loss, a defeat for everyone. Let us remember that violence begets violence."

LINKS

Text: Canon Pat Browne at Requiem Mass for Sir David Amess: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/43522

Sir David Amess MP - House of Lords tribute by Lord Alton: www.indcatholicnews.com/news/43279

Read more reports and tributes here: www.indcatholicnews.com/search/Amess