Carousing Crowd of Quarter-Million People Pays Their Respects to Pope Francis, Leader Who Advocated for Constructing Connections Rather Than Barriers
Remarkable Ceremony Bids Farewell to Pope Francis
Throngs of people packed St Peter's Square for the solemn farewell of Pope Francis as his body was carried through the streets of Rome. This emotional event, filled with tradition and personal touches, transcended wealth and social class, attracting a diverse array of royals, world leaders, cardinals, and worshippers.
In keeping with Francis's life of shattering conventions, many of the opulent and expensive funeral rituals customary for popes were left behind in favor of a more modest approach. The Vatican City and Rome, both swathed in heavy security, even held a no-fly zone overhead.
Over two hundred and fifty thousand people attended the poignant service, with fifty thousand gathered in St Peter's Square to witness the poignant ceremony before the coffin bearing the pontiff began its journey through the Italian capital's streets.
Scores of cardinals, bishops, and priests sat in rows in St Peter's Square, waiting to bid farewell to the Bishop of Rome, as Francis's coffin was carried out into the square. Instead of an ornate casket, the pontiff opted for a simple wooden casket lined with zinc—a reflection of his dedication to reform the papacy and build "a humble church for the humble."
A series of sermons and prayers marked the beginning of the service, with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re reading the Penitential Act—a way for the faithful to confess their shortcomings. This was followed by the Liturgy of the Word, during which assembled worshippers listened to the inspiring words of God. Cardinal Re then delivered the homily, speaking to Pope Francis' life and service to the faith.
Cardinal Re lauded the pontiff as someone who "touched the minds and hearts of people" who was "attentive to the signs of the times." Despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow the path of self-sacrifice until the last day of his earthly life."
He affirmed that Francis "was a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone." Cardinal Re also repeated one of Francis's most notable criticisms of Donald Trump—who was in attendance—with a call to "build bridges, not walls." He also urged care for migrants and action on climate change.
As the service before St Peter's Basilica drew to a close, Cardinal Re blessed the pope's coffin with holy water. In a heart-rending finale, the choir sang in Latin: "May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come and welcome you and take you into the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem."
The coffin was then returned to St Peter's Basilica through the 'doors of death,' as a massive funeral bell tolled. Pope Francis's body left the basilica aboard a white truck and was carried in procession through the streets of Rome to his final resting place at his favorite church, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Crowds cheered and clapped as the cortege passed by, people moved by the event, with many crying and applauding as the vehicle wended its way through the city. Upon arrival, prisoners and migrants ushered Pope Francis's body into the basilica—a poignant reminder of his concern for the underserved.
In a break with tradition, Pope Francis requested in his will to be buried "in the ground, without particular ornamentation" but simply inscribed with the name "Franciscus." The burial ceremony took place in private, leaving a solemn air of mystery around the final resting place of this cherished pope.
Sources:
- BBC News. (2025, April 26). Pope Francis funeral: Tens of thousands gather in Rome for burial. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56639350
- The Guardian. (2025, April 26). Pope Francis: how the funeral unfolded. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/26/pope-francis-funeral-service-latest-london
- CNN. (2025, April 26). Watch: Pope Francis funeral: In pictures. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2025/world/europe/pope-francis-funeral-in-pictures/index.html
- The New York Times. (2025, April 26). Pope Francis Is Laid to Rest in Ceremony Filling Rome's Streets. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/26/world/europe/pope-francis-funeral.html
- Amidst political tensions and general news, the war of words continued as Cardinal Re criticized Donald Trump during Pope Francis's funeral, calling for "build bridges, not walls."
- Contrary to the grandeur typically associated with papal funerals, the simple wooden casket used for Francis marked a deliberate attempt to "build a humble church for the humble."
- Despite the solemnity of the occasion, the funeral of Pope Francis was also a testament to the life he lived – touching the hearts and minds of rich and poor, royals and world leaders alike.
- In an unusual twist, Pope Francis's final resting place is shrouded in a mystery that adds an interesting dimension to the general news coverage of his funeral.
