Presidents, royalty, and countless ordinary mourners gathered on Saturday to bid farewell to Pope Francis, as a cardinal urged that his legacy of compassion for migrants, the marginalized, and the environment must live on.
Beside Francis’ coffin in the expansive St. Peter’s Square, U.S. President Donald Trump was seated, known for his public disagreements with the pope on these very issues.
Conversely, cardinals seated on the other side faced a critical decision regarding whether to continue Francis’ progressive church policies or revert to a more conventional papal approach favored by conservatives.
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presiding over the funeral Mass, stated, “Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings, and hopes of this time.”
The Argentine pontiff, who led the church for 12 years, passed away at the age of 88 on Monday following a stroke.
The assembly applauded when Cardinal Re recalled Francis’ advocacy for immigrants, his unceasing calls for peace, the urgent need for dialogue to resolve conflicts, and his emphasis on environmental preservation.
Applause also rang out at the start of the ceremony as 14 pallbearers in white gloves carried the cross-inlaid coffin from St. Peter’s Basilica into the square.
The aerial view over the Vatican displayed a mosaic of colors with the dark attire of global leaders, the red of about 250 cardinals, the purple of roughly 400 bishops, and the white of some 4,000 priests.
Choirs sang Latin hymns, and prayers were offered in multiple languages, including Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, and Arabic, reflecting the church’s global presence.
From the early hours, the faithful rushed to St. Peter’s, and many camped overnight to secure front-row spots. The Vatican estimated around 200,000 attendees at the service’s commencement.
“We want to say goodbye because he was a living saint, very humble and simple,” said Mary James, a Franciscan nun who spent the night to secure a prime spot.
Foreign Dignitaries
Following Francis’ death, a carefully orchestrated transitional period began, featuring traditional rituals and public mourning. Over the last three days, around 250,000 individuals have visited his open casket in the vast 16th-century basilica.
Before taking their seats, Trump and his wife, Melania, paid their respects at Francis’ now-sealed coffin in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Heads of state from around the world, including the presidents of Argentina, France, Gabon, Germany, the Philippines, and Poland, alongside the prime ministers of Britain and New Zealand, and various royals like the Spanish king and queen, also flew into Rome for the ceremony.
Applause erupted again when Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appeared, having met with Trump in Rome for what a White House official described as a ‘very productive discussion.’ Their meeting centered on potential resolutions to the conflict in Ukraine.
Breaking Tradition
Francis, the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years, strove to reform the church, advocating for the disenfranchised and challenging affluent nations to support migrants and tackle climate change.
“Francis left everyone a wonderful testimony of humanity, of a holy life, and of universal fatherhood,” the statement read.
While he pushed for greater church transparency, his calls for an end to conflicts, divisions, and rampant capitalism were often ignored.
Rejecting the usual ceremonial pomp of the papacy, Francis chose simplicity for his funeral, modifying the traditionally elaborate rites.
Departing from centuries-old burial customs, he was laid in a single zinc-lined wooden coffin instead of the traditional trio of cypress, lead, and oak caskets.
Marking another departure, he chose to be interred outside the Vatican at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, his final resting place about 3.4 miles from St. Peter’s.
His tombstone simply bears ‘Franciscus,’ his papal name in Latin, with a replica of his plain iron cross suspended above.
The funeral procession will allow residents of Rome one final moment to bid farewell as it passes through the city.
Italy implemented one of its largest security operations since the funeral of John Paul II, closing airspace and enhancing security with anti-aircraft defenses and patrol boats.
With Francis’ burial complete, the focus now shifts to the selection of his successor, with the conclave likely to start no earlier than May 6, allowing cardinals to discuss the future direction of the church amid ongoing financial and ideological challenges.
