Headline Figures Attend Funeral of Pope Francis
World leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, members of royalty, and countless faithful gathered on Saturday for a solemn funeral to bid farewell to Pope Francis. A cardinal emphasized that the pontiff’s legacy of caring for migrants, the oppressed, and the environment should not perish with him.
Key Figures Present
- President Donald Trump of the United States, who had differed with Pope Francis on similar issues, sat among foreign dignitaries beside the late pontiff’s casket in St. Peter’s Square.
- Cardinals on the other side of the casket represented those who would decide whether to continue Francis’s push for a more open Church or yield to conservative forces seeking a return to traditional papacy.
- Heads of state in attendance included the President of Argentina, Javier Milei; leaders from Germany, the Philippines, France, Gabon, and Poland; as well as Prime Ministers from the United Kingdom and New Zealand, along with numerous members of royalty, such as the King and Queen of Spain.
Pope Francis’s Legacy and Funeral Details
Pope Francis, the Argentine who led the Catholic Church for 12 years, passed away at 88 after suffering a stroke. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who presided over the funeral mass, praised Francis’s human warmth and sensitivity to contemporary challenges.
Key Aspects of the Funeral
- More than 250,000 people attended the two-hour ceremony in St. Peter’s Square, filling the plaza and surrounding streets.
- The funeral procession featured a papal car, open and driven through Rome’s heart to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, as Francis had requested to be buried there instead of the traditional crypt in St. Peter’s Basilica.
- The funeral procession included hymns in Latin and prayers recited in multiple languages, including Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, and Arabic, reflecting the global reach of the Roman Catholic Church with 1.4 billion members.
Pope Francis’s Life and Impact
As the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years, Francis strived to reform the Roman Catholic Church by advocating for the poor and marginalized while challenging wealthy nations to aid migrants and combat climate change.
Controversies and Simplicity
Traditionalists opposed his efforts to make the Church more transparent, while his calls for conflict resolution, ending divisions, and curbing unbridled capitalism often fell on deaf ears. Francis minimized pomp and privilege during his papacy, opting for simplicity in his funeral by revising elaborate rituals and choosing a single zinc-covered wooden casket instead of the traditional triple casket made from cypress, lead, and oak.
Breaking Tradition
Francis became the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican, selecting St. Mary Major as his final resting place. His tomb bears only “Franciscus” in Latin, and a simple iron cross he often wore around his neck hangs above the marble slab.
Security and Transition
Italy has organized one of its largest security operations since John Paul II’s funeral, closing the city’s airspace and deploying additional security forces with anti-aircraft missiles and patrol boats to monitor the event.
Focus Shifts to Francis’s Successor
The conclave to elect his successor is unlikely to begin before May 6, potentially allowing cardinals time for pre-conclave meetings to assess each other and the Church’s situation, which faces financial difficulties and ideological divisions.
