The Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest, Aurel Perca, attended the funeral of Pope Francisc

Archbishop Aurel Perca, Metropolitan Archbishop of Bucharest, attended the ceremony in Rome, representing the Catholic Bishops' Conference.

The high prelate says Pope Francis has been, through his natural style and closeness to the people, a pontiff who has responded to the expectations of the faithful around the world.

Aurel Perca: A true shepherd of the church, who has responded to the expectations of people of all ranks, from the simplest people to people in the state or even in the church, from monks to bishops. Throughout the 12 years of his pontificate, there were many moments when the Pope showed that he really tried to break out of those protocol forms and sometimes surprised even those around him, because he really wanted to feel the pulse of the world up close, to get closer to the people.

Translated by: Radu Matei