I wish I could tell you how deeply grateful I am for all you have given me—through your books, your presence, and your remarkable life's work.
I want to share one memory that holds so much of who you are and what you taught me. It's the moment you received the Paolo VI Prize from John Paul II.
We were all there, filled with joy. I can still see you clearly, moving toward that elderly, fragile pontiff with such gentleness and love. You took his arm and walked slowly with him to his chair. I will never forget how your affection spoke not just through your words but through every gesture, every glance, every movement. In that instant, we all felt something true about how you lived: with tenderness, with care. We saw the kind of person we wanted to become.