World Leaders, Thousands Gather for Pope Francis’ Funeral at St. Peter’s Square

Tens of thousands of mourners, including dozens of world leaders, gathered at St. Peter’s Square on April 26 to bid farewell to Pope Francis, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 88. Following the funeral Mass, his coffin was transported to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome for burial.

The funeral, which began at 10 a.m. local time, drew a crowd of more than 250,000, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Britain’s Prince William.

As the coffin was carried out from St. Peter’s Basilica into the square, flanked by lines of cardinals, the crowd erupted into applause. True to his wishes, Pope Francis was laid to rest in a simple wooden coffin, departing from the Vatican’s traditional practice of triple nesting coffins.

The funeral Mass began with Latin hymns and Psalms performed by the Sistine Chapel Choir. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old Dean of the College of Cardinals, led the Penitential Rite and delivered the homily, remembering Pope Francis as a leader who lived a life of devotion to the very end.

“The final image of him, blessing the crowd from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Easter despite his grave health challenges, will remain etched in our memory,” Cardinal Re said.

"He descended into the Square aboard the Popemobile to greet the massive Easter crowd," Re added. "Through our prayers, we now commend the soul of our beloved Pope to the mercy of God, asking that he be granted eternal happiness."

Re praised Francis as “the people’s pope, with a generous heart,” highlighting his unwavering advocacy for migrants, refugees, and the poor. “Pope Francis believed that the Church should be a home for everyone,” he said.

During the prayers of the faithful, petitions were read in seven languages—Italian, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Polish, German, and, for the first time at a papal funeral, Chinese—marking a notable departure from past traditions.

The Mass continued with the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the central rite of Catholic worship commemorating the Last Supper. Cardinal Re consecrated the bread and wine, lifting them before the gathered faithful—a solemn reminder of Christ’s sacrifice and the bond between God and humanity.

At the Sign of Peace, mourners turned to those nearby, shaking hands and saying, “Peace be with you.” Cardinal Re later offered final words of farewell, saying in Latin, “We entrust Pope Francis, who strengthened your faith in the resurrection, to the mercy of God.”

After the two-hour-and-ten-minute ceremony, Pope Francis’ coffin was carried back into St. Peter’s Basilica amid the ringing of bells and a standing ovation from the crowd. From there, it was placed in a vehicle and driven 6 kilometers to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major for burial.

Although the burial was private and not broadcast live, a prayer service was held outside the basilica. About 40 representatives from marginalized and disadvantaged communities—those closest to the pope’s heart during his lifetime—gathered to welcome the coffin.

Sources: BBC, AFP, Reuters

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