According to Benedict XVI, "the expression ‘eternal life’ is intended to give a name to this irrepressible expectation: not an endless succession, but immersion in the ocean of infinite love, in which time, before and after, no longer exist. A fullness of life and joy: this is what we hope for and anticipate from our being with Christ." Hence the connection between hope in eternal life, "solidly founded in the death and resurrection of Christ" and Christ’s words "I am risen, and now I am always with you", which make Him present even at the gate of death. "Where no one can accompany you any longer, and where you can bring nothing, there I will wait for you to transform your darkness into light." "Christian hope," said the Pope "is not, however, an individual hope, it is always hope for others as well. Our existence is profoundly connected to that of one another, and the good and evil that each one does always affects the others. Thus the prayer of a pilgrim soul in the world can help another soul that is being purified after death." "This is why," the Pope concluded "the Church calls upon us to pray for our deceased loved ones, and to visit their graves." Yesterday, at 6.30pm, the Pope visited the crypt of the Vatican basilica for a moment of prayer in private, to pray for the souls of the Supreme Pontiffs buried there and of all the departed.” “
