Pope Francis laid to rest after tens of thousands attend Vatican funeral

Following solemn, hours-long funeral services at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, Pope Francis’ 12-year leadership of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics has come to an end in Rome.

The 88-year-old Argentinian pontiff, who passed away earlier this week from a stroke and cardiac arrest, was laid to rest on Saturday at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in the capital of Italy.

Tens of thousands of people packed the square to watch the ceremony, which was officiated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, with many lining up early in the morning outside the square as sunny skies arrived in Rome.

Italian authorities closed the airspace above Vatican City, stationed a torpedo ship off the coast, and deployed more than 2,500 police officers and 1,500 soldiers, according to Italian media.

Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican is held with the coffin of Pope Francis [Gregorio Borgia/AP]

14 white-gloved pallbearers carried Francis’ wooden coffin, which was inlaid with a large cross, through St. Peter’s Basilica’s main entrance to the outdoor funeral service, eliciting applause and cheers.

Royals and world leaders, including Donald Trump, the president of the United States, who frequently clashed with Francis over their starkly divergent opinions on immigration, were among the mourners.

Among the attendees were Prince William of the United Kingdom, United States Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Spanish President Emmanuel Macron, and members of the Spanish royal family.

After all, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, was present despite his initial declaration that he could not attend due to recent Russian attacks. He and Trump had their first face-to-face encounter since a contentious Oval Office fight in February, according to reports.

Following the service, according to Al Jazeera, Trump and Zelenskyy are scheduled to have a second meeting.

Other world leaders, including Presidents of Argentina, Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and General Joseph Aoun of Lebanon, were also present.

A pope among the electorates

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, one of the world’s leaders, delivered a moving funeral homily, praising Francis as a tireless champion of peace and human rights.

Pope Francis, who has been confronted with the violent wars of recent years, raised his voice in support of peace and demanded that there be reason and honest negotiation to find solutions, according to Battista Re.

He also praised Francis’ landmark papal letter on climate change and his numerous visits to places like Lampedusa and Lesbos, where the pope met migrants and refugees in detention camps.

Battista Re told the audience, “His gestures and exhortations in favor of refugees and displaced people are countless.”

He praised Francis for his “pope among the people, with an open heart toward everyone” and for his informal, spontaneous manner and ability to reach “the least among us.”

Over three days this week, more than 250,000 people stood for hours in line to pay their final respects while Francis’ body lay in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica [Susana Vera/Reuters] — More than 250, 000 people waited in line for hours during Francis’s burial at St. Peter’s Basilica over the course of three days.

A modest place of rest.

According to a report from the Vatican, Jonah Hull of Al Jazeera described the event as “utterly beautiful” and “very well received by the enormous crowd” while mentioning how spontaneous applause erupted during the historic moment.

Francis’ coffin made a 4 km (2, 5 mile) journey through the heart of Rome after the service. The Pope’s motorcade was followed by 150, 00 people, according to the Vatican, who watched the parade.

According to Hull, Francis himself made the decision to place him in St Mary Major Basilica rather than St Peter’s, according to his last will.

According to Hull, “It has a deep personal significance for Pope Francis and the Jesuit faith, which he was a part of.”

More than 250, 000 people waited in line at St. Peter’s Basilica for hours earlier this week to pay their last respects. The Vatican’s doors were kept closed to accommodate the crowds overnight.

His final resting place, a plain tomb in a historic Roman church, embodies Francis’s papacy’s humility and independence.

On the steps of St. Mary Major Basilica, a group of 40 people greeted the late pope’s coffin with white roses following the funeral. These included immigrants, homeless, prisoners, and transgender people.