Pope Francis laid to rest as tens of thousands honour his legacy of compassion

Presidents, nobility, and ordinary mourners bid farewell to Pope Francis on Saturday during a solemn burial ceremony, where a cardinal urged that the pontiff’s legacy of caring for migrants, the oppressed, and the environment be preserved.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who had often disagreed with the Pope on various issues, sat among rows of international leaders on one side of Francis’ casket in the vast St. Peter’s Square.

On the opposite side sat cardinals who will elect Francis’ successor at a conclave next month, deciding whether the new pope should continue the late pontiff’s campaign for a more open Church or yield to conservatives who desire a more traditional pontificate.

The Argentine pope, who reigned for 12 years, died on Monday at the age of 88 following a stroke.

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re eulogised Francis during the Vatican Mass as a pope of the people, a pastor who knew how to communicate with the “least among us” through his informal, spontaneous style.

“He was a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone,” the 91-year-old Dean of the College of Cardinals said in a highly personal sermon. He drew applause when he recounted Francis’ enduring concern for migrants, highlighted by celebrating Mass at the U.S.-Mexico border and visiting a refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece, from where he brought 12 migrants home.

“The guiding thread of his mission was also the conviction that the church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open,” Re said, noting that through his travels, the Argentine pontiff reached “the most peripheral of the peripheries of the world”.

“Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time,” Re added.

The Vatican estimates that more than 250,000 people attended the service, crowding the Piazza and surrounding roadways. Applause broke out when Re mentioned Francis’ advocacy for immigration, his calls for peace, his insistence on dialogue to end wars, and his efforts to combat climate change.

The mourners applauded once again at the end of the service, as ushers tilted the casket slightly so more people could catch a final glimpse.

Aerial views of the Vatican revealed a tapestry of colour: black from the sombre clothing of world leaders, red from the vestments of approximately 250 cardinals, purple from around 400 bishops, and white from the 4,000 priests present.

Following the funeral, as the great bells of St. Peter’s tolled mournfully, the coffin was placed on an open-topped popemobile and transported through the heart of Rome to St. Mary Major Basilica.

Francis, who rejected much of the pomp traditionally associated with the papacy during his 12-year reign, had requested to be buried there, rather than in the crypt beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, the customary burial site for popes.

The burial itself was conducted in strict privacy.

The popemobile exited the Vatican via the Perugino Gate, a side entrance just yards from the Santa Marta guesthouse, where Francis chose to live rather than the opulent Renaissance apartments of the Apostolic Palace.

Police estimated that over 150,000 people lined the 5.5-kilometre (3.4-mile) route to St. Mary Major.

Some waved placards; others threw flowers towards the casket. Cries of “Viva il Papa!” (“Long live the Pope!”) and “Ciao, Francesco!” (“Goodbye, Francis!”) echoed as the procession passed Rome’s ancient landmarks, including the Colosseum.

Crowds wait hours to bid farewell

Over three days, more than 250,000 mourners queued for hours to pay their final respects while Francis’ body lay in state at St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Vatican kept the basilica open overnight to accommodate the crowds, but it was still not enough. When the doors closed at 7 p.m. on Friday, many were turned away.

By dawn on Saturday, thousands had returned, recalling the words Francis had spoken throughout his papacy.

“We are here to honour him because he always said ‘don’t forget to pray for me,’” said Nigerian Sister Christiana Neenwata. “So we are also here to give to him this love that he gave to us.”

Massive Crowds Gather at the Vatican

Tens of thousands flocked before dawn to St. Peter’s Square, where Francis’ funeral Mass, which he had personally choreographed when revising and simplifying the Vatican’s rites and rituals last year, was held.

He sought to emphasise the pope’s role as a humble servant rather than a figure of worldly power, reflecting his 12-year mission to build “a poor Church for the poor”. This mission was articulated just days after his election in 2013 and explained his choice of the name ‘Francis’, honouring St. Francis of Assisi.

The white façade of St. Peter’s glowed pink at sunrise as mourners rushed in. Giant television screens were erected along surrounding streets for those who could not find space within the Square.

Helicopters patrolled overhead as part of a massive security operation involving more than 2,500 police officers, 1,500 soldiers, and a naval ship positioned off the coast, according to Italian media reports.

Many mourners had already planned to visit Rome for the Holy Year canonisation of the first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis — an event now postponed. Youth groups and scouts filled the crowds, joined by nuns and seminarians.

“He was a very charismatic pope, very human, very kind — above all, very human," said Miguel Vaca, a pilgrim from Peru, who camped near the Piazza overnight. “It’s very emotional to say goodbye to him.”

Trump meets Zelenskyy amid the farewells

The funeral also provided an opportunity for diplomatic encounters. U.S. President Trump held a brief meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

A photograph released by Zelenskyy’s office showed the two seated closely in conversation. A White House official described it as a “very productive discussion”.

Among other heads of state attending were the presidents of Argentina, France, Gabon, Germany, the Philippines, and Poland, alongside the prime ministers of Britain and New Zealand, and royalty including the King and Queen of Spain.

A Farewell to ‘Franciscus’

Francis’ death triggered a period of ancient ceremony, solemnity, and transition. Over the last few days, his body lay before the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica as mourners filed past. The funeral included Latin hymns and prayers in a range of languages — Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, and Arabic — underscoring the Catholic Church’s 1.4 billion-strong global congregation.

Even before becoming pope, Francis held a special devotion to St. Mary Major Basilica, where he often prayed before the Byzantine icon Salus Populi Romani before and after foreign trips.

The popemobile used to transport his coffin was originally built for his 2015 visit to the Philippines.

The choice of burial location is also symbolically significant, linked to his Jesuit order. St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, celebrated his first Mass at the Basilica on Christmas Day in 1538.

While seven other popes are interred there, Francis’ burial marks the first papal burial outside the Vatican in over a century, since Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903.

Many of the faithful camped out overnight to secure a place close to the altar, while others arrived early in the morning.

“When I arrived at the Square, tears of sadness and joy overwhelmed me,” said French pilgrim Aurelie Andre. “I truly realised Pope Francis had left us, but I also felt joy for all he had done for the Church.”

Francis, the first non-European pope in almost 13 centuries, sought to reshape the Church by championing the poor and challenging wealthy nations to assist migrants and address climate change.

“Francis left everyone a wonderful testimony of humanity, a holy life, and universal fatherhood,” stated a formal summary of his papacy, written in Latin and placed in his coffin.

Though traditionalists resisted his reforms, and his calls for peace and economic justice often fell on deaf ears, his funeral embodied the simplicity and humility he espoused throughout his life.

In keeping with his wishes, Francis was buried in a single, zinc-lined wooden coffin, foregoing the centuries-old tradition of three interlocking caskets.

His tomb bears a simple inscription: “Franciscus” — his name in Latin — above which hangs a reproduction of the simple iron-plated cross he once wore.

Attention now shifts to the conclave in early May, when the College of Cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pope.