On Saturday, April 26, 2025, over 250,000 mourners gathered in St. Peter’s Square to bid farewell to Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 after a 12-year papacy. The solemn ceremony was attended by royalty, heads of state, clergy, and pilgrims from around the globe, reflecting the profound impact of the first Latin American pope. (Rome and the world bid farewell to Pope Francis with massive funeral and humble burial)
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presiding over the Mass, highlighted Pope Francis’s enduring commitment to compassion, peace, and environmental stewardship. He urged the faithful to continue the pope’s mission of building bridges and caring for the marginalized. (Cardinal’s funeral sermon stresses pope’s call for Trump to ‘build bridges, not walls’, Rome and the world bid farewell to Pope Francis with massive funeral and humble burial)
Notable attendees included U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Argentine President Javier Milei. A brief meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelenskiy during the funeral underscored ongoing efforts toward peace in Ukraine. (Pope Francis laid to rest as world pays tribute in Rome, Trump and Zelenskiy meet one-on-one in Vatican basilica to seek Ukraine peace)
In a departure from tradition, Pope Francis requested a humble burial at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he often prayed before and after his travels. His tomb bears the simple inscription “Franciscus,” reflecting his lifelong dedication to humility and service. (‘Ciao Francesco’, Romans wave goodbye to the pope they adopted, Rome and the world bid farewell to Pope Francis with massive funeral and humble burial)
As the Catholic Church enters a period of transition, a conclave is scheduled for next month to elect a new pope. The global community reflects on Pope Francis’s legacy of inclusivity, social justice, and unwavering faith. (Rome and the world bid farewell to Pope Francis with massive funeral and humble burial)
Image Credits: Times Colonist
