A “simplified” ceremony for the late Pope Francis concluded at the Vatican on Saturday, with more than 250,000 mourners in attendance.
His coffin has now arrived in Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, where he will be entombed in the gold basilica, which sits at the highest point of the Italian capital.
The funeral, which took place in St. Peter’s Square and lasted about 2 hours, was punctuated with an elaborate set of rituals. It came six days after the first Latin American pontiff made his final public appearance for Easter, at the same location.
Tens of thousands of people packed St Peter’s Square for the funeral of Pope Francis who died on Monday, before his body was carried through the streets of Rome.
His body had been lying in state for three days in St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing around thousands of people to pay their respects.
The funeral service, attended by world leaders and dignitaries, marked the end of a period of mourning and transition for the Catholic Church.
Among those present were 130 delegations, including world leaders and reigning monarchs. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump met ahead of the funeral, the Ukrainian presidency said.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, one of the most senior figures in the Catholic Church, conducted the service. The 91-year-old honored Francis’ ability to lead with “an open heart towards everyone” in his sermon, describing him as a “pope among the people.”
--Agencies
