Pope Francis was laid to rest Saturday after a solemn funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square, drawing more than 250,000 mourners and dignitaries from around the world.
Applause rang out as his simple wooden coffin, bearing a large cross, was carried into the sunlit square. Bells tolled as leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, took their seats among the crowd.
The Mass, celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re alongside thousands of clergy, marked the end of a transformative 12-year papacy. Francis, the first pope from the Americas, died Monday at 88 after a stroke.
Pilgrims, some waiting overnight, packed the square and surrounding streets. “We want to say goodbye because he was a living saint,” said Mary James, a Franciscan nun.
Francis reshaped the Catholic Church with his calls for humility, care for the poor, and action on climate change, though he faced stiff resistance from traditionalists. His final wishes reflected his modesty: a single zinc-lined wooden coffin, a tomb bearing only the name “Franciscus,” and a burial at Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major, not within the Vatican.
Rome mounted an extensive security operation for the funeral, with airspace closed and anti-aircraft systems deployed. As Francis’ motorcade made its way through the city one last time, thousands lined the streets to say farewell.
The Church now enters a period of transition. A conclave to elect a new pope is expected to begin after May 6.
