VATICAN CITY, April 26 – In a powerful show of unity and grief, more than 200,000 people, including world leaders and faithful from around the globe, gathered at St Peter’s Square today to bid farewell to Pope Francis, affectionately known as the “Pope among the people”.
From the early hours of the morning, mourners filled the square and surrounding streets, some even camping overnight to secure their spot. The Vatican’s tight security measures were clear, with snipers stationed on rooftops and fighter jets on standby. Despite the massive crowd, a deep silence hung over the area as St Peter’s bells tolled, marking the start of the funeral ceremony.
The simple wooden coffin of Pope Francis was carried out of St Peter’s Basilica by white-gloved pallbearers, flanked by over 200 red-robed cardinals. The crowd, a vibrant sea of different nationalities and ages, broke into spontaneous applause as a tribute to a man who spent his papacy building bridges, not walls.
Leaders Pay Tribute
World leaders from over 50 countries attended the funeral. Among them were US President Donald Trump, former President Joe Biden, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, Britain’s Prince William, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni.
President Trump, whose administration clashed with Francis on immigration policies, nonetheless praised him as “a good man who loved the world”. His words were echoed by other dignitaries who acknowledged Francis’s lifetime mission to protect the vulnerable and uplift the poor.
In his funeral homily, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re spoke with emotion, calling Pope Francis “a pope with an open heart, who believed the Church should always be a home with its doors wide open.” The cardinal praised Francis’s efforts to make the Church more compassionate, inclusive, and attentive to the problems of modern society.
A Pope of the People
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Francis made history by becoming the first Latin American pope. His 12-year papacy was marked by a strong focus on social justice, humility, and inclusivity.
He consistently stood up for the marginalized — from refugees and migrants to the poor and disenfranchised. One of his earliest acts as pope was a visit to the island of Lampedusa, a major entry point for migrants risking their lives to reach Europe.
He lived simply, refusing to stay in the lavish papal apartments and instead choosing a modest guesthouse. His wish for a simple burial was fulfilled — a plain wooden coffin and a marble tomb at his beloved Santa Maria Maggiore Church in Rome, outside the traditional Vatican burial grounds.
Legacy of Compassion
Pope Francis’s death comes less than a month after he was discharged from hospital following a bout of pneumonia. Even in his final days, he remained true to his mission — his last public act being an Easter Sunday blessing to the world, reminding all to care for the vulnerable and forgotten.
During his papacy, Francis introduced groundbreaking reforms. He opened doors for divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion, allowed the baptism of transgender individuals, and even approved blessings for same-sex couples — actions that angered many traditionalists but won him global admiration.
At the same time, he upheld the Church’s firm stance on issues like abortion, showing a balance between progress and tradition. His leadership proved that compassion and modern relevance could coexist within the age-old teachings of the Catholic Church.
A World in Mourning
Across the world, Catholics and non-Catholics alike gathered in churches, community centres, and homes to watch the funeral live. In his native Argentina, crowds in Buenos Aires’ Flores neighbourhood, where he was born, mourned the loss of the man they saw as one of their own.
Jeremie Metais, 29, a mourner from France, summed up the mood perfectly: “It’s beautiful to see all these nationalities together. It feels like the centre of the world today.”
As the world prepares for nine days of mourning before the conclave begins to elect the next pope, the spirit of Pope Francis’s message — to love, to forgive, and to welcome — remains etched in the hearts of millions. — AFP
