ROME, ITALY — Pope Francis has been laid to rest in Rome following a solemn, hours-long funeral service at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, marking the conclusion of his 12-year papacy, a period marked by both significant influence and challenges, over the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
The Argentinian pontiff, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 88 due to a stroke and subsequent cardiac arrest, was interred on Saturday at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in the Italian capital.
Under clear skies, tens of thousands of mourners filled St. Peter’s Square to attend the ceremony, officiated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, with many arriving in the early hours to secure a place.
Security measures surrounding the Vatican were extensive, with Italian authorities deploying over 2,500 police officers and 1,500 soldiers. The airspace above Vatican City was closed, and a torpedo ship was stationed off the coast, as reported by Italian media.
Applause and cheers resonated as Francis’s wooden coffin, adorned with a large cross, was carried by 14 white-gloved pallbearers from St. Peter’s Basilica to the outdoor funeral service.
The funeral was attended by numerous global leaders and royals, including former United States President Donald Trump, who had often publicly disagreed with Francis on issues such as immigration.
French President Emmanuel Macron, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, European Union leaders, the United Kingdom’s Prince William, and members of the Spanish royal family were also present.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had initially indicated he would be unable to attend due to renewed Russian attacks, ultimately participated. Reports indicate he held a meeting with Trump prior to the ceremony, their first face-to-face meeting since a prior disagreement. Vivid Voice News understands that a second meeting between the two is expected.
Former US President Joe Biden also attended, along with other world leaders, including Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Lebanon’s General Joseph Aoun.
‘A Pope among the people’
As global leaders observed, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re delivered a moving funeral homily, portraying Francis as a steadfast advocate for peace and human dignity.
“Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions,” Cardinal Battista Re stated.
He also praised Francis’s influential papal letter on climate change and highlighted his visits to places such as Lampedusa and Lesbos, where the pope engaged with migrants and refugees in detention camps. “His gestures and exhortations in favour of refugees and displaced people are countless,” Cardinal Battista Re told the assembled crowd.
He commemorated Francis as “a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone,” known for his informal, spontaneous style and his ability to connect with “the least among us.”
A humble final resting place
Reporting from the Vatican, our reporter described the service as “an utterly beautiful service” that was “very well received by the enormous crowd,” noting the spontaneous applause that occurred during the historic occasion.
Following the service, Francis’s coffin was transported through a 4km (2.5-mile) procession through central Rome. The Vatican reported that 150,000 people lined the route to pay their respects.
His burial at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, rather than St. Peter’s, was a personal decision, reflecting his wishes as stated in his last will, our scribe reported. “It has a deep personal significance to Pope Francis and the Jesuit faith, which he was part of,” he explained.
Earlier in the week, over 250,000 individuals stood in line, some for extended periods, to pay their final respects as Francis’s body lay in state at St. Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican extended its hours to accommodate the large crowds.
His final resting place, a simple tomb in a historic Roman church that has not held papal remains for centuries, reflects the humility and independence that characterized Francis’s papacy.
After the funeral, a group of 40 people, including migrants, homeless individuals, prisoners, and transgender people, paid their final respects with white roses on the steps of the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
Our reporter reporting live from the Vatican, reflected on the poignant nature of Francis’s final journey: “In many ways, it’s symbolic that he is leaving behind the heads of state, royalty, world leaders, and he’s coming here to a common neighbourhood in the heart of Rome – this is where he wants to be, close to the people, among the people.”
