Dear Rene, brother of our professor Sylvain,

Dear priests

Antonella Montavani, representative of the Latin community of Cyprus

Dear Knights of the Holy Sepulchre

Brothers and sisters

May the Lord give you peace!

The Catholic Church of Cyprus loses an illustrious son… the life of professor Sylvain was a life dedicated to study, to history, to the roots of the Latin Catholic community of Cyprus. And on the occasions when I visited him at home he always repeated to me: I have dedicated my life to the Church, to helping the Latins of Cyprus to love their history, their roots.

Prefessor Sylvain was a man of faith, and the last time we saw him, its was about 3 weeks ago he told me: Monsignor, the time to leave is coming, but it is normal…. I have to leave. And we answers him with our words of sadness: no professor, it’s still early, we need you… and he repeated: no, I’m my age now… it’s time to leave…

The Gospel of St. John that we have heard brings us the words of Jesus at the moment in which he is about to leave his friends. And what does Jesus say to his friends at that moment? He encourages them ‘do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid’, and he consoles them by speaking to them of the ‘house of the Father’;

‘In my Father’s house there are many places. I go to prepare a place for you;’

Jesus describes Heaven by speaking of a ‘house’ in which we are called to meet together.

Yes, brothers and sisters Heaven is ‘home’. And the ‘house’ in which we enjoy the presence of those who love us… “Home” is eternity. It is the house of the Father, it is our hope.

Professor Sylvain believed in the Lord and followed him, he lived with fidelity and love his vocation as a spouse, friend and professor.

We Grateful to the Lord for the gift of his life, let us treasure his testimony: a life lived in the certainty of faith, in fidelity to his vocation, in the joy of belonging to the Catholic Church of Cyprus.

And I conclude by recalling that this moment of farewell to Professor Sylvain Beraud we do in faith. Faith that opens us to the certainty of eternal life. Of course, at this moment, it seems that death has won over life. It seems that separation has created a void. And that sadness, tears and pain, these last words are the only farewell greeting we can give.

It seems… but faith tells us that tears and pain are transformed into hope. And the stronger the pain, the greater the hope.

Christian hope is our certainty in faith. Addio (arrivederci) Professor Sylvain, thank you for the good you have done to the Latin Church of Cyprus, thank you for what you have done for the society of Cyprus… see you in heaven… amen