Presidents, royalty and thousands of pilgrims gathered in Rome to farewell Pope Francis at an emotional funeral Mass.
A crowd of more than 250,000 mourners filled St. Peter’s Square and surrounding streets on Saturday to honour Pope Francis, who died aged 88 earlier this week after suffering a stroke.
Presidents, kings and everyday pilgrims stood side by side as Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re led the funeral Mass. “Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time,” Re said in his homily.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously clashed with Francis over social issues, was among world leaders in attendance. Trump briefly met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy inside St. Peter’s Basilica, amid renewed hopes for peace talks.
After the service, the Pope’s simple coffin was carried into the sunlight by white-gloved pallbearers, receiving thunderous applause. His final resting place will be St. Mary Major Basilica, fulfilling his wish for a modest burial outside the Vatican—a first in over a century.
As the popemobile carried his casket through Rome’s ancient streets, the crowds cried out “Viva il Papa!” and tossed flowers in a poignant farewell to the first Latin American pope.
