Pope Francis was laid to rest Saturday at St. Mary Major Basilica, following a funeral Mass at St. Peter’s Square attended by presidents, princes, and as many as a quarter-million more. The leader of the Catholic church died Monday at age 88 after suffering a stroke. His burial marked the first time in a century that a pope was interred outside the Vatican, a choice that underscored his deep devotion to the Salus Populi Romani icon of the Virgin Mary, before which he prayed before and after every foreign trip.
Funeral Mass and Global Attendance
The funeral Mass, which Francis himself choreographed by revising and simplifying Vatican rites last year, began in a packed St. Peter’s Square. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re delivered the homily, eulogizing Francis as “a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone.” The cardinal recalled the last image many had of Francis delivering his final blessing on Easter Sunday and saluting from the popemobile in the same piazza. The Vatican estimated roughly 200,000 people initially, later updating the figure to 250,000.
Among the dignitaries were U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Argentine President Javier Milei, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Prince William representing King Charles III. Trump and Zelenskyy met privately before the service, with a White House official confirming a “very productive discussion.” The presence of such a wide array of global leaders reflected Francis’ influence as a moral voice on issues from immigration to climate change, even as he clashed with some, including Trump.
The Procession to St. Mary Major
After the Mass, white-gloved pallbearers lifted the pope’s simple wooden coffin—adorned only with a crucifix and his coat of arms—back into St. Peter’s Basilica. From there, the coffin was placed on a modified popemobile originally built for Francis’ 2016 visit to Mexico, altered to make the casket visible to mourners along the route. The 6-kilometer (3.5-mile) motorcade crossed the Tiber River, passed Italy’s monumental Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the ancient Roman Forum, and the Colosseum, with crowds applauding and shouting “Papa Francesco!” as church bells rang out.
The processional route drew thousands of onlookers, many of whom had camped overnight to secure a spot. A group of 13 from a parish in Calabria, who had originally planned to attend the canonization of Carlo Acutis—the first millennial saint—instead came for the funeral. “The Lord wanted it this way, so we came all the same,” said Sandra De Felice. “For me, this is a sign that we need to be truly humble and charitable.”
Burial Ceremony and the Chosen Tomb
At St. Mary Major Basilica, the coffin was met by about 40 migrants, prisoners, homeless individuals, and transgender people, each holding a white rose—a poignant emblem of Francis’ care for the marginalized. Among them was Annamaria Martinez of Venezuela, who said Francis “always looked at the best part of every person” and understood the difficulties faced by migrants. She burst into tears, saying, “He was unique and I’m so sad now.”
The private burial ceremony, attended by top cardinals and those close to the pope, took place behind a wooden barrier near the Salus Populi Romani icon. Pallbearers paused before the icon in a final salute, and four children laid white roses at the altar of the chapel containing it. Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell placed a seal on the coffin. The tomb, prepared with a flat marble tombstone engraved simply with “Franciscus” in Latin, lies beneath the basilica’s Borghese Chapel. Francis had chosen this spot himself, wanting to be near the Madonna he revered.
Why Not the Vatican?
Pope Francis broke with centuries of tradition by choosing burial outside the Vatican’s grottoes, where popes since the early 1900s had been interred. Before and after every foreign trip, Francis would go to St. Mary Major to pray before the Byzantine-style painting of the Virgin Mary known as the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the People of Rome). His request for a simple tombstone with only his Latin name reflected his lifelong commitment to humility. The last pope buried elsewhere was Pius X, who died in 1914 and was buried in St. Peter’s Basilica before being transferred to Venice; the last pope buried outside Vatican walls was Leo XIII in 1903, laid to rest in the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
Reforms to Funeral Rites
The funeral itself followed a revised order that Francis had approved just last year. Changes aimed to “emphasize even more that the Roman Pontiff’s funeral is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world,” according to Archbishop Diego Ravelli, the Vatican’s master of liturgical ceremonies. The revisions simplified the rites, removed some centuries-old symbols of papal authority, and placed greater focus on the Gospel and the Resurrection. The sealing of the coffin had taken place the evening before, when a white cloth was placed over Francis’ face, a bag of coins minted during his papacy was placed inside, and a one-page written account of his life, called a rogito, summarized his journey from childhood in Argentina to the papacy, highlighting his defense of the innocent, his encyclicals, and his illnesses.
Global Reactions and Local Masses
Tens of thousands also gathered outside the Vatican for the funeral, following the Mass on giant screens in public squares, including outside St. Mary Major Basilica. In East Timor, one of the world’s most Catholic countries, tens of thousands attended a requiem Mass for Francis at a seaside park near the capital, Dili. Francis had made a historic visit to the Southeast Asian nation in September 2024, drawing over 600,000 people. His death also suspended the planned canonization of Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old Italian computer whiz who was to become the first millennial saint. However, many young Catholics who came to Rome for the canonization stayed for the funeral, waving flags of Acutis and celebrating Francis’ message of joy and humility.
One young attendee said that Francis “always said you have to be joyful about life, you have to live life in a similar way.” The presence of young, Catholic faithful gave an uplifting tone to an otherwise somber day. Even those disappointed by the suspended canonization were gratified that they could honor Francis, whom they loved for his concern for the poor.
Legacy of a People’s Pope
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the first pope from the Americas and the first from the Southern Hemisphere. His papacy, beginning in 2013, was marked by a focus on social justice, mercy, and a more inclusive Church. He championed the causes of migrants, the poor, and the environment, while also navigating internal church divisions. His decision to be buried outside the Vatican, in a simple tomb with a plain nameplate, perfectly encapsulated his rejection of pomp and his desire to be close to the people. As the church now prepares to elect his successor, the world remembers a pope who, in his final journey, remained a pastor and a disciple.
Source: AP News News