The Funeral of Pope Francis Brought International Leaders and Cardinals to St. Peter’s Square
As we know, Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at age 88, the Vatican announced Vatican doctors said he suffered a stroke and cardiac arrest, ending a 12-year papacy marked by efforts to modernize the Church. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, as Vatican acting head, announced the news on television, saying the Bishop of Rome had “returned to the house of the Father” at 7:35 am. He praised Francis’s life of “fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized”.
In the days before the funeral, Pope Francis’s coffin was transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica for public veneration. The Vatican scheduled a funeral Mass for Saturday in St. Peter’s Square. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would attend the ceremony, and dozens of other world leaders converged on Rome. Argentine President Javier Milei and Brazil’s government declared national days of mourning, reflecting Francis’s regional ties. Among the foreign dignitaries at the service were the presidents of Argentina, France, Germany, Poland and others, together with Britain’s prime minister and many European royals.
On Saturday the Vatican held a solemn funeral Mass attended by presidents, monarchs and ordinary mourners. Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re presided over the liturgy, appealing to keep alive Francis’s legacy of caring for migrants, the poor and the environment. President Trump, who had often clashed with Francis, sat among the rows of foreign leaders on one side of the pontiff’s coffin. The funeral began as 14 white-gloved pallbearers carried Francis’s casket – draped with a large wooden cross – out of St. Peter’s Basilica into the sunlit square, to warm applause. Vatican officials estimated that more than 250,000 people crowded into the square and surrounding streets to attend the Mass.
After the service, the great bells of St. Peter’s tolled in mourning as Francis’s coffin was placed on an open-top popemobile and driven through the heart of Rome to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. In accordance with his wishes, he was buried there – the first pope laid to rest outside the Vatican in more than a century. Thousands lined the 5.5 km funeral route, waving signs and throwing flowers as the cortege passed. Mourners shouted “Viva il Papa!” and “Ciao, Francesco!” as the procession went by.
Global leaders and Catholics around the world hailed Francis’s legacy of reform and compassion. “World leaders praised his efforts to reform the worldwide Church and offered condolences to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics,”. During his papacy, Francis challenged wealthy nations on climate change and urged them to help migrants, while championing the poor and marginalized.
A Latin summary placed by his open coffin read: “Francis left everyone a wonderful testimony of humanity, of a holy life and of universal fatherhood”. Church officials noted that even his funeral was marked by humility – Francis had rewritten the traditional papal funeral rites for simplicity. In Vatican ceremonies and statements, clergy and faithful invoked his message of mercy and urged Catholics to keep his example alive in prayer and service.
Source(s): reuters.com, vaticannews.va and CNN