Pope Francis Laid to Rest in Roman Church; Global Figures like President Murmu and Trump Participate in Funeral Ceremony
Pope Francis's Unprecedented Farewell: A Gathering of Global Leaders
On a sunny morning in April 2025, Pope Francis, the groundbreaking pontiff from Latin America, was laid to rest in the heart of Rome. His funeral service took place outside the hallowed walls of St. Peter's Basilica, a ceremony attended by hundreds of thousands of mourners.
The world watched as global leaders, including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish King Felipe VI, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, paid their respects. Even former US President Joe Biden was in attendance, demonstrating the global impact Pope Francis had during his lifetime.
India's President Droupadi Murmu led the Indian delegation, accompanied by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State George Kurian, and Goa Deputy Speaker Joshua De Souza.
Before the funeral, Pope Francis had requested simpler funeral rites, reflecting his humble nature. So, his body was placed in a single wooden coffin instead of the traditional triple-layered cypress, lead, and oak varieties used in previous papal funerals.
The ceremony was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, and followed the traditional liturgical book for papal funerals, the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis. The service, predominantly in Latin, lasted about two and a half hours.
After the Mass, Pope Francis was not buried in the Vatican like his predecessors. Instead, he was interred at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, near a central train station frequented by the marginalized. This choice reflected his commitment to helping the downtrodden and underprivileged.
At the burial site, a unique guard of honor awaited the coffin: a diverse group of Muslims, homeless individuals, prisoners, and transgender people. This symbolized Pope Francis's dedication to inclusivity and his outreach to society's most vulnerable. His coffin was placed in a simple marble tomb inscribed with his name, "Franciscus."
The funeral was a fitting tribute to a man whose life was dedicated to humility, outreach, and care for the poor and marginalized, setting an inspiring precedent for future generations.
Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, led her country's delegation at the funeral of Pope Francis, a gesture that demonstrated the global influence of the beloved pontiff. In a departure from tradition, Pope Francis's coffin was not encased in the triple-layered cypress, lead, and oak variety but in a simple wooden one, a request reflecting his humble nature. The funeral rites, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, harkened back to tradition, with the service conducted in Latin, but the burial site was a symbol of Pope Francis's commitment to inclusivity, as it was guarded by a diverse group including Muslims, homeless individuals, prisoners, and transgender people.
