Funeral service Cardinal Tscherrig solemnly buried in the Vatican by Pope Leo
In the presence of several dozen high church dignitaries, Pope Leo XIV solemnly buried the Swiss Cardinal Emil Paul Tscherrig in St. Peter's Basilica on Friday afternoon. He paid tribute to the deceased as a zealous and responsible servant of the Lord.
15.05.2026, 17:46
SDA
The Pope based his sermon on a quotation from Jesus in the Gospel of John in the New Testament. "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even if he dies," it says in a conversation with Martha.
The biblical passages were read by a Swiss guardsman, among others. This was a reminiscence because Tscherrig himself had once served in the guard for a short time.
Leo XIV emphasized the Cardinal's extensive ecclesiastical and international experience. And he listed the numerous stations in which Tscherrig has served as Nuncio of the Holy See since 1994. Starting in Burundi, in various states in the Caribbean and Scandinavia, in South Korea, Mongolia, Argentina and finally, from 2027, as the first non-Italian for Italy and San Marino.
He then asked those present to preserve the good that had come from Tscherrig. "Our world needs ambassadors," said Pope Leo XIV.
Cardinal Tscherrig died in Rome on Tuesday at the age of 79. In St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, he lay in state in front of the altar during mass in a simple coffin made of dark wood.
