Vatican City: Presidents, royalty, and tens of thousands of mourners gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday to bid farewell to Pope Francis, whose papacy championed the poor, migrants, and the environment.
His legacy, mourners agreed, must not end with his death. On either side of Francis’ coffin sat leaders who reflected the diverse reactions to his papacy: US President Donald Trump, who clashed with Francis over issues such as migration and climate change, and Catholic cardinals who now face critical decisions about the Church’s future direction.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presiding over the funeral Mass, paid tribute to Francis’ human warmth and his unwavering advocacy for the downtrodden.
A Multitude Gathers
An estimated 200,000 mourners, many of whom camped out overnight, filled the square. They applauded again as Francis’ coffin, inlaid with a large cross, was borne out of the Basilica by 14 white-gloved pallbearers.
The scene was a vivid mosaic of colour: black for world leaders’ attire, red for the 250 cardinals’ vestments, purple for the 400 bishops, and white for the 4,000 priests.
Latin hymns echoed through the square, while prayers were offered in languages including Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, and Arabic, signaling the global reach of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church.
World Leaders Pay Tribute
Before taking their seats, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump paid their respects before Francis’ coffin, which had been sealed shut Friday evening.
Leaders from around the world were present, including the presidents of India, Argentina, France, Gabon, Germany, the Philippines, and Poland, alongside the prime ministers of Britain and New Zealand and the king and queen of Spain.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy received special applause from the crowd.
Breaking with Tradition
Francis, who died on Monday at age 88 after suffering a stroke, spent his 12-year papacy battling to reshape the Catholic Church.
As the first non-European pope in nearly 13 centuries, he prioritized the poor and marginalized while confronting wealthier nations over issues such as migration and climate change.
His papacy was summarized in a formal Latin document placed beside his coffin: “Francis left everyone a wonderful testimony of humanity, of a holy life, and of universal fatherhood.”
In life and in death, Francis challenged tradition. He rewrote the elaborate funeral rites and chose to forgo the centuries-old practice of burial in three interlocking caskets. Instead, his body was placed in a simple zinc-lined wooden coffin.
In a final symbolic act, Francis will be buried outside Vatican walls- the first pope to do so in over a century.
Pope Francis’ coffin arrives in St Peter’s Square pic.twitter.com/u1OW73yVR5
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 26, 2025
His final resting place is the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, with only “Franciscus,” his name in Latin, etched onto his marble tomb. Above it hangs a reproduction of the simple iron cross he wore throughout his papacy.
As the funeral motorcade carries Francis’ body through Rome, tens of thousands of residents will have one last chance to say farewell.
Italy has mounted one of its largest security operations in decades, closing the city’s airspace and deploying anti-aircraft defenses and patrol boats.
