By Our Reporter
Thousands gathered at St Peter’s Basilica on Friday to pay their final respects to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 following a stroke and heart failure. His passing came less than a month after being discharged from hospital, where he had battled pneumonia for five weeks.
Some 250,000 mourners visited his coffin during three days of lying in state, with crowds arriving overnight to secure a place in the queue for his funeral mass. The ceremony was attended by over 50 heads of state, including U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Nigeria’s Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, also attended, alongside presidents Javier Milei (Argentina), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil), Emmanuel Macron (France), and Lebanon’s Joseph Aoun. More than a dozen royals, including Britain’s Prince William, were also present.
“He was not just the pope—he was what the definition of being human is,” said Andrea Ugalde, 39, who flew from Los Angeles to attend Saturday’s mass.
“We are very sorry for what happened to him because we hold a South American pope in our hearts,” said Gabriela Lazo, 41, from Peru, who spent the night in a car with her family to attend the funeral.
The Vatican has launched a major security operation, including a no-fly zone, fighter jets on standby, and rooftop snipers, to ensure the safety of attendees.
Pope Francis, who succeeded Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, was widely admired for his humility and dedication to social justice. A Jesuit, he chose his name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, embracing a mission for “a poor Church for the poor.” He declined the papal palace and instead lived in a Vatican guesthouse.
In his final public act, he delivered an Easter Sunday blessing to the world, urging protection for “the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants.”
Following his funeral, nine days of official Vatican mourning begin before a conclave of cardinals convenes to elect the next pope. Francis chose to be buried in his beloved Santa Maria Maggiore church in Rome, making him the first pontiff in over a century to be interred outside the Vatican walls.
Catholics around the globe are holding events to watch the proceedings live, including large gatherings in his native Buenos Aires.
With additional reports from AFP