Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader and a champion of the poor, was the funeral of the tens of thousands of mourners in St. Peter’s Square.
Some people waited overnight to arrive at the ceremony’s opening, which will feature world leaders.
During his 12-year papacy, the Argentinian pontiff sought to change the epoch’s tradition to become more inclusive. He passed away on Monday at the age of 88.
During the three days of his burial at St. Peter’s Basilica, 250, 000 people showed their respects before his coffin, and a sizable crowd gathered on Friday morning to pay his last visit.
Andrea Ugalde, 39, who flew from Los Angeles to the Saturday mass, said, “He was not just the pope. He was what the definition of being human is.”
More than 50 heads of state are on the guest list, and the Vatican and Italy have organized a significant security operation for the occasion.
Snipers will be stationed on roofs surrounding the tiny city-state, and there is a no-fly zone in place.
Peruvian Gabriela Lazo, 41, described her entire night with the children in the car. Because we cherish the South American pope in our hearts, we are deeply sorry for what happened to him.
Francis, who succeeded him after Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013, will spend the first nine days of official Vatican mourning at the funeral.
Source: Aljazeera
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