Bishop Thomas J. Tobin presided over a Mass of Christian Burial on Monday for Vincent A. “Buddy” Cianci Jr. at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul in Providence. The Capital City’s longest-serving mayor died Jan. 28 at the age of 74.
Father Bernard A. Healey, pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in East Greenwich and governmental liaison for the Diocese of Providence, delivered a homily that called to mind the often controversial mayor’s storied past and also looked beyond it.
“While we grieve his loss, we gather in this cathedral this morning in faith. Ours is not to canonize or condemn, but rather to commend. And so we commend Mayor Cianci to God’s mercy by our prayers and with the offering of this Mass,” he said.
He noted that it would be presumptuous of anyone either to try to summarize or to judge the life lived by another.
“No one, not a politician or a priest, not a bishop or a bus driver, should ever be defined solely by their faults,” Father Healey said. “Rather, with mercy and with love we look to their good works and their contributions to the common good.”
As the longest serving Mayor of Providence, Cianci contributed much to the city he loved so deeply and passionately, he said.
Bishop Tobin, in remarks leading to the final prayers before Cianci’s funeral procession left the cathedral for his burial at St. Anne Cemetery in Cranston, offered his condolences to Mayor Cianci’s family and friends gathered.
“On behalf of the Church and the Diocese of Providence, and in my own name, I want to extend once again our very, very sincere sympathy and prayers to all the members of Buddy’s family and friends and associates and co-workers,” Bishop Tobin said. “This is a moment of sorrow and loss for you and we hope and pray that you will find some measure of comfort in remembering all that Buddy did for others and for our city and find some comfort and peace in our presence and our prayers today, and also some measure of peace in your knowledge of a God who is always merciful, kind and forgiving and loving.”
