Shafaqna English- Large crowd from all walks of life poured into St. Peter’s Square and the adjacent areas on Saturday (26 Apr 2025) morning to take part in the Funeral of Pope Francis.
In a brief statement, the Vatican said more than 250,000 people attended the ceremony. It was not just a funeral but also an extraordinary global event as 170 foreign dignitaries, including dozens of heads of state, attended the ceremony to pay their respect to Pope Francis.
USA’s President Trump, ex-President Biden, as well as Britain’s Prince William, French President Macron and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy were also in attendance.
The Solemn celebration was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re joined by some 250 Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, priests, and consecrated religious.
Thanking all those present and extending his greetings to the numerous Heads of State, Heads of Government and Official Delegations from across the world attending the Mass, Cardinal Re noted that the outpouring witnessed in this week of mourning tells a lot on how much the pontificate of Pope Francis “touched minds and hearts” of many people, not only within the Church.
With his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute personality, said Cardinal Re, “he immediately made his mark on the governance of the Church.”
“He was a Pope among the people”, with an open heart towards everyone, especially the marginalised, the least among us, but “also a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church.”
Cardinal Re explained, His outreach to migrants and refugees, exemplified by the visits to Lampedusa, Lesbos, and the USA-Mexico border, was deeply symbolic of his solidarity with the suffering.
Among his 47 Apostolic Journeys, Cardinal Re highlighted his visit to Iraq, which, he said, stood out as both a “pastoral balm” and a call for interreligious dialogue.
His global travels often brought him to places of deep need and conflict, culminating in his 2024 visit to the Asia-Oceania region, which extended the Church’s presence to the farthest peripheries.
His call for human fraternity, notably in his Encyclical ‘Fratelli tutti’ and the 2019 Abu Dhabi joint Declaration on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, underscored his desire for global solidarity and peace.
In times of global violence and war, Francis’ voice stood out as one of peace, always insisting that “war is a defeat for humanity”.
Cardinal Re’s words on the Pope’s efforts and appeals for world peace drew wide applause from the crowds present.
Once the funeral was over, the coffin of Pope Francis made its way across the Italian capital to reach Santa Maria Maggiore basilica. The coffin of Pope Francis has been greeted by a “group of poor and needy people” as it arrived at Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, where he will be buried.
The burial will be held in private. The Vatican had previously said people will be able to visit Francis’s tomb from Sunday morning.
Source: Vatican News , Al Jazeera