Today, the world said goodbye to a truly transformative figure. Pope Francis, often called the “People’s Pope,” was laid to rest in a moving ceremony that brought together hundreds of thousands from heads of state to everyday people who filled the streets around St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City to honor a man who redefined what it meant to lead the Catholic Church.

From the moment he stepped into the papacy in March 2013, Francis made it clear: this was a Church for everyone. Race, class, sexuality, or belief didn’t matter what mattered was compassion, inclusion, and humility.

The funeral service, held in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, was deeply symbolic. It was multilingual, inclusive, and heartfelt. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re captured the sentiment of the moment when he called Pope Francis “rich in human warmth” and praised how he “shared the anxieties, sufferings, and hopes” of a rapidly changing world.

Among the mourners were prominent global leaders like President Donald Trump, former President Joe Biden, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. But perhaps more telling than the political presence was the emotional crowd, people from all walks of life, quietly united in grief and gratitude.

A nun from Poland summed it up best: “He was the parish priest to the whole world.” Pope Francis brought comfort to those on the margins—victims of abuse, the poor, migrants, and the LGBTQ+ community, people who often felt overlooked or cast out.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Francis was the first Pope from outside Europe in more than 1,200 years. He was also a Jesuit, a man of deep faith who took a vow of poverty and never let go of that simplicity, even in death. He changed the rules for papal funerals to make them less extravagant, and was buried in a plain wooden coffin, lined with zinc and marked with a simple white cross. No ornate tomb. No pomp. Just as he lived: humbly.

Rather than resting beneath the grandeur of the Vatican, Francis chose to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore, a beautiful basilica nestled in one of Rome’s poorest districts. It’s the same church where he often prayed before and after his global travels. It was his quiet way of staying close to the people he loved most.

The funeral drew crowds of young people who had come for a different event a pilgrimage for the planned canonization of Carlo Acutis, the so-called “millennial saint.” That event was postponed, but they stayed to say goodbye to a Pope who inspired them to care for the Earth, fight for justice, and lead with kindness. “He made us believe we mattered,” said one teenager.

In 2015, Pope Francis released a groundbreaking encyclical on climate change, calling on the world to take care of “God’s creation.” It was one of many ways he tried to connect faith with the realities of the modern world.

As the white pickup truck carrying his coffin slowly departed St. Peter’s Square, mourners followed quietly, many in tears. Awaiting him at Santa Maria Maggiore was an honor guard unlike any other migrants, Muslims, transgender people, the homeless, and prisoners. They were the final witnesses to a burial that felt more like a communal act of love than a formal rite.

Inside the basilica, Francis was laid to rest in a plain marble tomb, etched simply with “Franciscus.” Fitting for a man who always pointed away from himself and toward God.

As Sister Maria Rose Pellicioli said outside the church, “We have joy that we knew him, and pain that we have lost him. But he is coming home to God, and in this way he stays with us.”

In the coming days, the Catholic Church will begin the process of choosing a new Pope. Francis appointed most of the cardinals who will vote, but the future of the Church is still uncertain. Will the next leader continue his legacy of openness and humility or turn back toward tradition?

Whatever happens next, one thing is certain: Pope Francis left an indelible mark on the world. He reminded us that faith should never be about judgment or exclusion. It should be about love.



Posted on April 26, 2025
By [ Wafriknews ]