World Bids Farewell to People’s Pope Francis: Massive Funeral, Humble Burial/ World leaders and ordinary faithful gathered in Rome to honor Pope Francis, known for his deep compassion for the marginalized. A crowd of 250,000 attended his funeral, highlighting his pastoral mission. Francis’ legacy as a humble leader lives on through his reforms and personal humility.
Pope Francis Funeral Quick Looks
- 250,000 mourners filled St. Peter’s Square for the funeral.
- Leaders like Trump, Biden, Zelenskyy, and Prince William attended.
- Francis orchestrated a modest funeral focused on humility.
- Burial at St. Mary Major Basilica near Rome’s train station.
- Special welcome by prisoners, migrants, and marginalized groups.
- Funeral broadcast globally, with tight security throughout Rome.
- Vatican prepares for a conclave to elect a new pope.
- Francis remembered for outreach to the “peripheries” and reforms.
World Bids Farewell to People’s Pope Francis: Massive Funeral, Humble Burial
Deep Look
World Leaders and Faithful Mourn Pope Francis in Humble Farewell Ceremony
VATICAN CITY — On a poignant Saturday morning, the world converged in Vatican City to bid a final farewell to Pope Francis, a pontiff who dedicated his life to serving the marginalized and reforming the Catholic Church. In a ceremony deeply reflective of his personal mission, Francis was remembered not for grandeur but for his relentless commitment to compassion and humility.
Approximately 250,000 mourners packed St. Peter’s Square, with tens of thousands more lining the motorcade route as Pope Francis’ simple wooden coffin made its way aboard an open-air popemobile toward his final resting place at St. Mary Major Basilica. The basilica, across town, holds special significance for Francis, where he often prayed before and after his foreign journeys.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals, delivered a moving eulogy, painting Francis as a “pope among the people.” Re recalled the pope’s travels to the farthest reaches of the globe, including celebrating Mass at the U.S.-Mexico border and personally rescuing refugees from camps in Greece.
“He was a pope with an open heart towards everyone,” said Re, emphasizing that Francis’ greatest legacy might be his tireless advocacy for migrants, the poor, and marginalized communities. The crowd responded with applause, a fitting tribute to a leader who sought to embody the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.
True to his humble vision of the papacy, Francis had personally planned a funeral that reflected simplicity and the role of the pope as a servant rather than a monarch. This desire culminated in his choice of a plain wooden coffin and his burial not in the grandeur of St. Peter’s Basilica, but in a modest tomb at St. Mary Major, marked simply with the name “Franciscus.”
Despite the simplicity, the ceremony attracted the world’s most powerful figures. Among the attendees were U.S. President Donald Trump, former President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, and Prince William. Argentine President Javier Milei, representing Francis’ homeland, had a prominent seat despite past political tensions between them.
Trump and Zelenskyy were even spotted meeting privately within St. Peter’s Basilica, highlighting the broader political gravity of the moment, set against Francis’ lifelong calls for peace.
As the sun rose over St. Peter’s Basilica, the white facade bathed in pink light, the square filled with scouts, church youth groups, nuns, seminarians, and ordinary pilgrims. Giant screens broadcasted the ceremony to those who could not get close enough, and the funeral was televised around the globe.
The security operation was immense: helicopters buzzed overhead, and Italian media reported that over 2,500 police officers, 1,500 soldiers, and naval units secured the city.
Many mourners had initially planned to visit Rome for the now-postponed canonization of Carlo Acutis, the first saint of the new millennium. Nevertheless, the change of plans did not deter them from paying homage to a pope who touched countless lives with his warmth and humanity.
“He was a very charismatic pope, very human, very kind,” said Miguel Vaca, a pilgrim from Peru. “It is a very great emotion to say goodbye to him.”
Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke while recovering from pneumonia. His death marked the end of a transformative 12-year papacy that sought to shift the Church’s focus towards humility and service.
Following the funeral, the Vatican will move swiftly to organize the conclave that will elect his successor, likely to commence in early May. In the interim, senior cardinals, led by Cardinal Re, oversee the Church’s day-to-day operations.
Francis’ final journey encapsulated his entire life philosophy. Along the six-kilometer route to St. Mary Major, over 300,000 people were expected to pay their respects. Upon arrival, his coffin was greeted by 40 special guests — homeless individuals, migrants, prisoners, and transgender people — who had been personally invited to honor the marginalized communities he championed throughout his papacy.
Even before his election, Francis had a deep devotion to St. Mary Major’s famed Byzantine-style icon of the Madonna, Salus Populi Romani. This enduring connection made the basilica a fitting final resting place for the first Latin American and Jesuit pope in history.
Over the preceding three days, more than 250,000 mourners had filed past Francis’ body as it lay in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, with the Vatican keeping the doors open overnight to accommodate the masses.
Sister Christiana Neenwata, who traveled from Biafra, Nigeria, reflected the feelings of many when she said, “We are here to honor him because he always said, ‘Don’t forget to pray for me.’ So we are here to give to him this love that he gave to us.”
In a world often divided by conflict and inequality, Pope Francis’ final moments reinforced his enduring message: the Church must always be a home for all, with its doors wide open.
You must Register or Login to post a comment.