 "‘Build bridges, not walls’: How Pope Francis’ funeral put peace and compassion front and centre")
Pope Francis’ funeral has ended
The late Pope was given a grand send-off in St Peter’s square.
In attendance were world leaders, princes of the church and a crowd that the Vatican estimated at around 200,000.
The sermon at the Pope’s funeral was delivered by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re – the dean of the College of Cardinals.
Francis, pope since 2013, died on Monday at age 88.
The funeral at large and Re specifically in his speech focussed on peace and compassion.
Let’s take a closer look:
What did Re say?
Cardinal Re, delivering the homily, echoes Francis’ calls for peace around the world.
“For the late Pope Francis, that the chief shepherd, who eternally lives to intercede for us, may welcome him into his kingdom of light and peace,” Cardinal Re began, as pe_r Sky News._
Re during his address demanded that the public and leaders care for the poor and migrants, end wars and act on climate change.
“His gestures and exhortations in favour of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant,” Re said, as per CNN.
“Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and inviting honest negotiation to find possible solutions. War, he said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse than it was before: it is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone,” Re added.
Re also repeated Francis ’ criticism of US President Donald Trump by asking leaders to “build bridges, not walls.”
This, as Trump was among the many dignitaries seated at the funeral.
Francis’ funeral also included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and some 50 other world leaders.
It was a carefully choreographed affair, with Latin chants, strictly organised seating, and use of ancient Catholic rites.
Trump and the pope exchanged criticisms over a decade, mostly related to the pope’s plea for compassion for migrants, a group Trump has repeatedly sought to deport.
In 2016, when Trump was making his first run for president, Francis said he was “not Christian” because of his views on immigration.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” said Francis at the time. “This is not in the gospel.”
Trump responded then, “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful.”
Francis also called Trump’s immigration crackdown in his second term a “disgrace”.
Re’s sermon, heard by a global audience of millions, contained a strong political message for the national leaders and a strong internal message to the world’s Catholic cardinals.
“‘Build bridges, not walls’ was an exhortation he repeated many times,” Re was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Trump is currently attempting to secure a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.
“Let us commend to God’s tender mercy the soul of Pope Francis , Bishop of the Catholic Church, who confirmed his brothers and sisters in the faith of the resurrection,” Re added, as per CNN.
“Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time,” said Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who presided over the funeral Mass.
The crowd broke into applause when Re spoke of Francis’ care for immigrants, his constant pleas for peace, the need for negotiations to end wars and the importance of the climate.
Francis, the first non-European pope for almost 13 centuries, battled to reshape the Roman Catholic Church, siding with the poor and marginalised, while challenging wealthy nations to help migrants and reverse climate change.
“Francis left everyone a wonderful testimony of humanity, of a holy life and of universal fatherhood,” said a formal summary of his papacy, written in Latin, and placed next to his body.
The coffin was placed on an open-topped popemobile and driven through the heart of Rome to St. Mary Major Basilica, with thousands of people lining the route.
The Vatican estimated more than 250,000 people attended the ceremony, which lasted two hours.
Now, attention will switch to who might succeed him.
The secretive conclave to elect a successor is unlikely to begin before May 6, and might not start for several days after that, giving cardinals time to hold regular meetings beforehand to sum each other up and assess the state of the Church, beset by financial problems and ideological divisions.
With inputs from agencies
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
