Our founder, Moysés Azevedo, is in Rome to pay his final respects to Pope Francis. He prayed during a private moment at the Pontiff’s body exposition in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Moysés has arrived in Rome Wednesday, the 23rd to attend the Holy Father’s funeral. He had maintained a close relationship with Pope Francis since his days as a cardinal in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Upon arriving in Rome, he had the opportunity to pray in a space reserved for the Roman Curia and civil and ecclesiastical authorities, near the coffin that holds the Pope’s body. On Thursday morning, he spent around 30 minutes in silent prayer before the casket.
During Francis’ pontificate, Moysés served as a member of two Vatican dicasteries. In addition, the Shalom Community held two international conventions in Rome with the Pope’s presence — one in 2017 and another in 2022.
Moysés was one of the first founders to speak publicly after the death of the Holy Father. On Monday the 21st, the Shalom Community had already scheduled a series of Easter livestreams titled “50 Days with Jesus”. However, the event became a powerful moment of prayer for Pope Francis, including the Rosary, Lauds, Holy Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration.
Appointment to the new Dicastery for Evangelization
In 2023, Moysés Azevedo was appointed to the newly created Dicastery for Evangelization. Since 2019, he had already been serving as a member of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life.
He also worked as a consultant for the former Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, whose responsibilities were merged into the new dicastery. His appointment underscores the Shalom Community’s commitment to evangelization — a mission Moysés has embraced since the foundation of the group.
