Pope Francis Laid To Rest In Rome In Deviation From Centuries-Old Tradition As World Mourns: VIDEO
Pope Francis, the beloved head of the Catholic Church, was laid to rest today in a solemn and emotional ceremony at the Vatican. The 88-year-old Argentine pontiff passed away on Monday, April 21, after suffering a stroke, just weeks after returning home from a five-week battle with double pneumonia. More than 250,000 worshipers, religious and political figures lined St. Peter’s Square, in the Vatican, to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis, who died earlier this week at the age of 88.
The funeral took place at 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT, 1:30 PM IST) in St. Peter’s Square, in front of the grand basilica where Pope Francis led countless masses during his 12-year papacy. Thousands of mourners, including religious leaders, world dignitaries, and everyday followers from across the globe, gathered to pay their final respects.
His body, placed in a simple zinc-lined wooden coffin, reflected the pope’s wishes for a humble farewell. “The faithful will be able to venerate the Pope's body inside the open coffin, and the tradition of having three coffins of cypress, lead, and oak has been eliminated,” stated Vatican News.
Despite centuries-old customs, Pope Francis had made it clear he wanted to break away from past traditions. He had changed the burial rules, asking for a single coffin instead of the traditional three, as part of his commitment to simplicity and humility.
A total of 130 foreign delegations were present, including 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs. Some of the notable attendees were:
From Asia:
- India: President Droupadi Murmu
- Philippines: President Ferdinand Marcos and First Lady Liza Marcos
From the Americas:
- USA: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump
- Argentina: President Javier Milei
- Brazil: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Janja
- United Nations: Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
From Europe:
- France: President Emmanuel Macron
- Germany: President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz
- Hungary: President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban
- Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska
- United Kingdom: Prince William representing King Charles III, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Schedule of This Morning's Events at St Peter's Basilica
07:30 BST: Archbishops and bishops gathered in the Constantine Wing, adjacent to St Peter's Basilica, while Catholic priests began assembling in St Peter's Square.
08:00 BST: Patriarchs from the Orthodox Church and cardinals came together in the Chapel of Saint Sebastian inside the basilica.
09:00 BST: The funeral service commenced as the coffin was laid in the square before St Peter's Basilica. The ceremony is being led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.
Approximately 10:30–10:45 BST: The funeral concludes, followed by a slow procession carrying the Pope’s coffin to his final resting place at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
After the funeral mass, the pope was taken to his final resting place — not in St. Peter’s Basilica like many of his predecessors, but at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, about 4 kilometers away. This choice was deeply personal. “After a week, he called me to (his home at the Vatican) Santa Marta and he said ‘Prepare my tomb,’” said Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas, who oversees the basilica. Pope Francis chose to be buried near the Salus Populi Romani icon, a revered image of the Virgin Mary that he prayed to before and after every foreign trip.
“Francis, who died Monday at age 88, will be buried in a niche tomb in the basilica on Saturday after his funeral in St. Peter’s Square about 4 kilometers (2½ miles) away.”
His grave is marked with a simple headstone made from Ligurian marble, chosen in honor of his mother's Italian roots. It bears his name in Latin: Franciscus, along with a replica of his pectoral cross — a humble image of a shepherd with a lamb over his shoulders and a dove above.
The process to choose the next pope has now begun. Of the 252 cardinals of the Church, 138 under the age of 80 will gather in a secret conclave in the Vatican. Voting will continue until one cardinal receives the required two-thirds majority. The world will watch for the traditional white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney, a sign that a new pope has been elected.
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