On April 26, 2025, the late Pope Francis’s coffin was solemnly carried by pallbearers into the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Captured in a poignant photograph by Piero CRUCIATTI of AFP, the moment marked the final journey of a pontiff beloved by millions.
Pope Francis, often referred to as the “pope among the people,” was laid to rest following a deeply moving Vatican funeral ceremony that drew an estimated 400,000 mourners. Among those paying their respects were more than 50 heads of state, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who had traveled to Rome to honor the Argentine pontiff, who led the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics since 2013.
After a solemn service at St. Peter’s Square, where reverent silence enveloped the massive crowd, Pope Francis’s simple wooden coffin — reflecting his lifelong humility — was slowly transported to Santa Maria Maggiore, his favorite church in Rome, for a private interment.
Among the grieving faithful was 52-year-old Guatemalan pilgrim Maria Vicente, who clutched a rosary tightly as she tearfully watched the final procession. “It made me very sad. It’s touching, that he left us like that,” she shared.
Inside the basilica, 14 pallbearers, wearing white gloves, carried the coffin to the altar, where children placed baskets of flowers, and a choir’s prayers filled the air. The pope’s final resting place was marked with a simple marble tomb inscribed only with “Franciscus” — his name in Latin.
A Farewell Marked by Unity and Reflection
Prior to the funeral, Trump had private meetings with other global leaders, including Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky — their first meeting since a tense Oval Office encounter in February. Photos later captured Trump, Zelensky, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron gathered together inside the basilica.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, delivering the homily, described Francis as “a pope among the people, with an open heart.” His words were met with applause from the sea of mourners under a bright blue sky. He praised Francis’s unwavering belief that “the Church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open.”
Francis spent his 12-year papacy pushing for a more inclusive, compassionate Catholic Church, often challenging traditional norms and advocating for the marginalized — efforts that sparked both global admiration and internal opposition.
A Security Operation of Unprecedented Scale
Given the presence of numerous world leaders, Italian and Vatican authorities launched an extensive security operation, with fighter jets on standby and snipers positioned on rooftops around the Vatican. Cardinals in red and bishops in purple lined one side of St. Peter’s Square, while dignitaries sat opposite, all facing Francis’s simple cypress coffin, adorned only with a pale cross.
Maria Mrula, a 28-year-old student from Germany, described her 16-hour journey to Rome as a pilgrimage inspired by the late pope’s love for the poor. “The Church is alive,” she said. “It was great being here.”
The End of an Era and the Beginning of Mourning
The funeral initiated the traditional nine days of mourning within the Vatican. Once completed, the College of Cardinals — those under 80 years of age — will convene to elect a new pope.
Throughout his papacy, Francis often faced backlash for his progressive reforms, such as supporting migrants’ rights, environmental protection, and greater inclusion within the Church. Nevertheless, his compassion and charisma left a deep global impact.
Cardinal Battista Re highlighted Francis’s commitment to the vulnerable, recalling his early trip to the migrant island of Lampedusa and his symbolic Mass at the Mexico-U.S. border. The late pontiff’s call to “build bridges, not walls” became one of his defining messages — one that resonated strongly during the funeral.
Despite past tensions, President Trump described Francis as “a good man who loved the world.” Trump’s visit to Rome marked his first foreign trip of his second term. Meanwhile, other major figures, including former U.S. President Joe Biden, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Lebanon’s Army Commander Joseph Aoun, were present.
Notably absent was a major delegation from Israel, which, due to tensions over Francis’s criticisms regarding Gaza, was represented solely by its Holy See ambassador. China, which maintains no formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican, did not send any official representative.
A Legacy of Compassion and Courage
Francesco Morello, a 58-year-old mourner from Italy, reflected on the powerful homily. “It was a fitting, strong, and beautiful message about peace,” he said. “He could not bring them together in life, but he managed in death.”
Pope Francis passed away from a stroke and heart failure, just weeks after being discharged from a hospital where he had battled pneumonia.
Known for his simple ways and his deep connection with ordinary people, Francis frequently took selfies with pilgrims, kissed babies, and focused on reaching the Church’s margins. His final public act, the day before his death, was delivering a heartfelt Easter blessing, urging protection for the vulnerable and marginalized.
Named after Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis chose to embody a vision of “a poor Church for the poor.” He lived humbly at a Vatican guesthouse rather than in the opulent Apostolic Palace.
Across the world, Catholics gathered to watch the funeral live, including in Buenos Aires, where the future pope was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 in the working-class neighborhood of Flores.
“The pope showed us that there was another way to live the faith,” said Lara Amado, a 25-year-old from Argentina.
A Pope Who Embraced the Margins
Throughout his leadership, Francis broke new ground, approving communion for divorced and remarried Catholics, endorsing the baptism of transgender individuals, and offering blessings to same-sex couples — while still holding firm on issues like the Church’s opposition to abortion.
As Cardinal Re concluded, Francis had built a Church that “bends down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, to heal their wounds” — a vision that touched millions and will define his enduring legacy.
