"Grandparents know how to be strong even in suffering".
This is the message sent by Pope Francis to Lino Banfi with a letter read during the funeral of his wife Lucia in the parish of Sant'Ippolito in Rome.
To officiate the mass, Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmerio.
"Dear my brother, upon learning of the news of Lucia's passing, I offer you and your family my condolences, assuring my prayers for the suffrage of her soul - so the pontiff in the letter, read by Don Sergio Mercanzin -. Faith in Christ our hope supports you in experiencing this moment of pain.Grandparents know how to be strong even in suffering and you are the grandfather of an entire nation.
Take up your wife Lucia's legacy of faith and goodness, continuing to bear witness to the beauty of the bond of love that kept you together and the incomparable beauty of the family.
I express my affection to you and, invoking the protection of the Holy Virgin, I cordially bless you and all who mourn the passing of Lucia.
Fraternally, Francesco".
Lucia Zagaria died in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday at the age of 85 at the Campus Bio Medico in Rome, where she had been taking care of her for years.
She was linked to Banfi by a very long love story, 10 years of engagement and almost 61 of marriage.
On March 2 of a year ago Banfi was received by Pope Francis after a letter sent to him by the actor for his 60th wedding anniversary;
a meeting which Lucia had not been able to attend due to her precarious health conditions.
Many faces from the entertainment world gathered today to bid her a last farewell in the sung mass, accompanied by the voice of Anna Maria Ruggieri: Mara Venier, Milly Carlucci, Giulio Scarpati, Paolo Conticini, Lunetta Savino, as well as representatives of productions such as Publispei and Ballandi with whom Banfi has worked throughout his long career.
Many family members, friends and inhabitants of the Piazza Bologna district, where Banfi's wife has always lived, also attended the church, who appreciated her discretion, kindness and confidentiality.