Pope Francis’s Funeral Draws World Leaders and Thousands of Mourners to Vatican
On Saturday, Pope Francis’s wooden coffin was carried into St. Peter’s Square, marking the beginning of a grand funeral mass attended by a sea of mourners, including global leaders, pilgrims, and clergy.
As the simple coffin, adorned with a large cross, was brought from St. Peter’s Basilica into the sunlit square by pallbearers in black suits and white gloves, applause filled the air. Church bells tolled solemnly as dignitaries from over 150 nations took their seats. Among them was U.S. President Donald Trump, whose views on immigration had often clashed with those of the late pontiff.
The open-air mass, expected to last about 90 minutes, was co-celebrated by 220 cardinals, 750 bishops, and more than 4,000 priests.
From the early hours, thousands of faithful flocked to the Vatican, many camping overnight to secure a front-row view of the historic ceremony.
“We waited all night,” said Maria Fierro, a pilgrim from Spain. “It’s deeply emotional to be here in his final moments.”
Mary James, a Franciscan nun, shared a similar sentiment: “I stayed up all night. We are here to say goodbye to a living saint—so humble and simple.”
The Argentine-born pope passed away on Monday at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke. His death initiated a carefully arranged period of mourning within the Roman Catholic Church, home to 1.4 billion followers worldwide, steeped in age-old rituals and solemn traditions.
Over the past three days, nearly 250,000 people paid their respects as his body lay in an open coffin before the altar inside the towering 16th-century basilica.
Before the funeral mass began, President Trump and First Lady Melania visited St. Peter’s Basilica to pay homage to the late pope. His coffin was sealed on Friday evening.
Heads of state from Argentina, France, Gabon, Germany, the Philippines, Poland, Ukraine, and prime ministers from Britain and New Zealand joined the ceremony, along with several European royals. A wave of applause swept the square when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived.
Among the first notable figures to appear was former U.S. President Joe Biden, accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden.
The Vatican estimated that around 250,000 mourners would gather across the massive esplanade and surrounding access roads. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, a 91-year-old Italian prelate, presided over the service.
“There’s an overwhelming energy here—yes, some exhaustion, but more than anything, gratitude,” said Eduardo Valencia, who traveled from Mexico. “We want to say thank you to Pope Francis for all he did.”
As the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years, Francis devoted his 12-year papacy to advocating for the poor and marginalized while urging richer nations to support migrants and combat climate change.
“Francis gave the world an extraordinary example of humanity, holiness, and fatherly care,” read a formal summary of his legacy, written in Latin, placed beside his body.
Despite his efforts, Francis often met resistance from traditionalists within the Church, and his calls for unity, peace, and social justice sometimes fell on deaf ears.
A Funeral of Simplicity
True to his lifelong commitment to humility, Francis altered traditional papal funeral customs. He discarded the practice of being buried in three nested caskets (cypress, lead, and oak) and chose a simpler zinc-lined wooden coffin instead.
Additionally, he chose not to be buried within Vatican grounds—a break from a century-old tradition—selecting instead Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major, about 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles) from St. Peter’s, as his final resting place. His tomb bears a simple inscription: Franciscus, his Latin name. Above it hangs a replica of the modest iron cross he once wore.
Following the mass, a funeral motorcade was set to carry him through Rome, offering residents a final farewell.
Italy launched one of its largest security operations since the funeral of John Paul II. Airspace above Rome was closed, additional security forces deployed, and anti-aircraft defenses put in place to safeguard the event.
After the burial, focus will swiftly turn to choosing Francis’s successor. The secretive conclave to elect a new pope is expected to commence no earlier than May 6, allowing cardinals several days of preliminary meetings to deliberate and assess the Church’s future amid ongoing financial and ideological challenges.
