A “simplified” funeral ceremony for the late Pope Francis concluded at the Vatican on Saturday, with more than 400,000 mourners attending the public viewing.
The people’ Pope was buried in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome basilica, with 250,000 mourners paying their respects across St Peter’s.
Presidents and princes attended the Mass in St. Peter’s Square; prisoners and migrants welcomed him into the basilica across town where he was laid to rest. He was laid in a simple wooden coffin. Francis is the first pope in more than a century to be buried outside the walls of the Vatican. In his will, Francis asked that his tomb be inscribed only with the word: “Franciscus.”
Francis’ “insistence” on working for the poor was woven into today’s funeral events, with groups of underprivileged people invited to attend the service in St. Peter’s Square. Those involved were chosen by the charity, Sant’Egidio, and they represented groups Francis felt were marginalised – including the homeless, migrants, the impoverished and a group of transgender women who live in a convent in Rome. A group of marginalised people was also invited to line the steps of his final resting place, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, at the end of the funeral procession.
Thousands of mourners lined up to see Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica; the Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout, closing the basilica for just an hour and a half Thursday morning for cleaning.
Two thousand journalists from across the world flew down to cover the funeral.
Leaders from more than 150 countries attended the funeral mass, including the US president, Donald Trump, who had repeatedly clashed with Pope Francis over immigration, and his wife, Melania. UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, French president, Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, former US president Joe Biden, Argentinian president, Javier Milei, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni and Prince William were also among the guests.
The funeral, which took place in St. Peter’s Square, lasted about 2 hours. The open-air ceremony, which was co-celebrated by 220 cardinals, 750 bishops, and more than 4,000 other priests, lasted for 90 minutes.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, one of the most senior figures in the Catholic Church, conducted the service. He honoured Francis’ ability to lead with “an open heart towards everyone” in his sermon, describing him as a “pope among the people.” The massive audience in attendance erupted into spontaneous applause during points of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re’s homily at the pope’s funeral.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump met ahead of the funeral, the Ukrainian presidency said.
The Argentine pope believed “the poor have a privileged place in the heart of God,” a Holy See statement issued before the funeral said. “For this reason, a group of poor and needy people will be present on the steps leading to the papal Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore to pay their last respects to Pope Francis before the burial of his coffin.”
Francis died at the age of 88 on April 21 due to a stroke, weeks after he returned home after battling double pneumonia. Just 20 hours before his death, the pontiff had made his last appearance on Easter, reminding the world of the essence of life and urging people to renew the hope for peace. He chose the name Francis in honour of St. Francis of Assisi, with his commitment to poverty, peace and nature, wanted to reflect his own dedication to the homeless and disadvantaged.
As the 88-year-old was being laid to rest an ocean away in Rome, thousands gathered by Buenos Aires’ cathedral for dawn vigils and a mass of remembrance, reports AFP.
With the pope’s death, the Catholic Church has entered a period of Sede Vacante — Latin for “the seat is vacant.” Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo or chamberlain of the Church, now leads the Vatican during this period.
Within 15 to 20 days, cardinals under the age of 80 will convene in the Sistine Chapel to vote. A two-thirds majority is needed to elect the next pope.
(Agencies; Picture Courtesy: AP)
