Roman Catholic leader, Pope Francis, interred in the Italian capital, Rome.
Pope Francis's funeral took place in an intimate, reporters-free setting, as per initial reports from TASS. The poignant event unfolded on April 26, 10:00 local time (11:00 Moscow time), on St. Peter's Square in Vatican City. According to Vatican reports, CNN estimates, some 200,000 individuals gathered within the square and neighboring streets.
The funeral procession journeyed around 4 kilometers, winding through the bustling streets and eventually concluding with the coffin's transfer to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome for the burial. The funeral mass marked the commencement of nine consecutive masses in St. Peter's Basilica that will span until May 4, as announced by the Vatican.
Pope Francis sadly left us on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. Shortly following his passing, a ceremony was conducted to affirm his death: the Vatican confirmed that a stroke resulted in critical and irreversible heart failure as the cause.
Over the course of two days, more than 250,000 faithful made a pilgrimage to honor Pope Francis and bid him farewell. As the evening of April 25 approached, his coffin was ceremoniously sealed shut.
Serving as the head of the Holy See for over a dozen years, from March 2013, Francis was the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and the Primate of Argentina before his impressive election. He went down in history as the first member of the Society of Jesus to ascend to the papal throne and the first pope hailing from Latin America.
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his heartfelt condolences over the pope's demise, declaring him "a brilliant religious and political leader, an unwavering champion of lofty humanist and justice ideals." Putin entrusted the task to Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, a decision sanctioned by the president himself. In total, representatives from 130 nations made their way to Vatican City.
Notable attendees included prominent heads of state, such as Argentina's President Javier Milei, Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the United States' former President Donald Trump, and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Delegations from various countries like Belgium, Austria, Australia, Canada, and Israel were also in attendance. The multifarious gathering demonstrated Pope Francis's global influence and his concerted efforts to forge bridges across cultures and political landscapes.
- General-news outlets reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences over Pope Francis's death, appreciating him as a "brilliant religious and political leader" who advocated for high humanist and justice values.
- The Vatican City witnessed a vast gathering of nearly 250,000 faithful during the two days following Pope Francis's demise, as they paid their respects and bid him farewell.
- Funeral services for Pope Francis, who served as the Head of the Holy See from March 2013 until his passing in April 2025, took place in Vatican City, with representatives from 130 nations in attendance.
