Crowds at Francis' Funeral, 400,000 People: "Pope of the People and Against War"
The ceremony in St. Peter's Square, then the funeral procession amidst applause and the burial in Santa Maria MaggioreA huge crowd at Pope Francis' funeral: 400,000 people wanted to pay their last respects to the Pontiff. The final number of those present was provided by the head of Civil Protection, Fabio Ciciliano: 250,000 were located in the area of St. Peter's Square and approximately 150,000 along the route of the funeral procession through the streets of central Rome. An enormous crowd which was joined by heads of state and government, for a total of 160 delegations from all over the world , and ecumenical representatives of world religions, who brought another 40 delegations to Rome.
.Without pomp and ceremony, celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the ceremony was followed by the long funeral procession, at a walking pace, through the centre of Rome.
During the homily , Cardinal Dean Re remembered Bergoglio as "the Pope of the people" , who "devoted himself until the last day" of his Pontificate. He also recalled his commitment to peace , his constant urgings to "build bridges and not walls".
Then the final invocation: "Francis, now pray for us, the world and the Church."
The funeral procession left from the Porta del Perugino to reach Santa Maria Maggiore . It is about 6 km long. At the head of the procession was the coffin placed on a popemobile to allow viewing, greeted by applause and a waving of flags of every color, including that of the Quattro Mori.
Following the relatives and the cars of the cardinals on a journey of about an hour through the city and as requested by the Pope "who came from the end of the world" to be able to say goodbye for the last time to the city that twelve years ago he embraced becoming its bishop. Finally, at 13:00, the rite of burial in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the place chosen by Bergoglio for the burial.
Images of Rome from above in the video by the State Police:
The security machinery put in place was impressive , considering the large influx of people but also the presence of Heads of State and crowned heads who arrived from all over the world.
THE PHOTOS:
In the place of honor , therefore, the delegation of the Pope's native country, Argentina, led by the President of the Republic Javier Milei , with his sister Karina as Secretary General of the Presidency. Then the Italian delegation, led by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella together with his daughter Laura and the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. And then Ursula Von der Leyen, Prince William of England, King Felipe VI of Spain with his wife, US President Donald Trump. Among the other leaders also Zelensky , who was greeted with applause as he entered the square .
Yesterday evening, the rite of closing the coffin took place , with the reading of the deed for the pious passing , which summarises his life, and which concludes with the words "Francis has left everyone a wonderful testimony of humanity, of a holy life and of universal paternity".
Cagliari, the faithful follow the funeral in church: the video by Egidiangela Sechi
LIVE OF THE DAY:
400,000 for the last farewell
"It was an extraordinary day that saw a great participation by both the citizens of Rome and the faithful from all over the world to give a final farewell to His Holiness Pope Francis. Four hundred thousand people shared a historic and emotional moment, and thanks to everyone's commitment the day took place in a solemn and serene way, without critical issues". This was stated by the head of the Civil Protection, Fabio Ciciliano. "I want to personally thank the entire National Civil Protection Service - he added -, and above all the three thousand civil protection volunteers who are on the front line in providing assistance to the faithful, with their generosity and humanity".
The burial
At 1:00 p.m. the rite of the Entombment of the coffin of the Roman Pontiff began in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The rite took place according to the prescriptions of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, presided over by the Cardinal Camerlengo, in the presence of the cardinals, bishops and canons and penitentiaries foreseen in the Notification of the Office of Liturgical Celebrations and the relatives of the deceased Pope, and concluded at 1:30 p.m. This was communicated by the Vatican Press Office.
150 thousand faithful along the route to S. Maria Maggiore
Along the route from the Vatican to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, the competent authorities estimate that about 150,000 people were present for the final farewell to Pope Francis. This was reported by the Vatican Press Office.
The Pope's coffin at Santa Maria Maggiore: "Long live Francis"
The tolling of the bell of Santa Maria Maggiore welcomes the arrival of the coffin of Pope Francis in the basilica so dear to him that will receive his remains. A thunderous applause greets the coffin of the Pontiff. Upon the arrival of the popemobile with the coffin, many shouted from the square: "Long live Francis, long live Francis." There was a lot of applause.
The Popemobile leaves the Vatican, the procession has begun
The Pope's coffin, carried out of the basilica through the Door of Prayer, was placed on the popemobile. It leaves the Vatican, passing in front of Casa Santa Marta and exiting through the Porta del Perugino. The procession will cross the center of Rome to accompany the body of Pope Francis to Santa Maria Maggiore where he will be buried.
After the Eucharist the outflow from via Conciliazione began
After the Eucharistic rite in via della Conciliazione, the slow outflow began, with large groups of faithful on foot being the first to move. "We are afraid," they explain, "of getting stuck, and our buses are waiting for us to go home." In the meantime, volunteers are removing the barriers that had created gaps to regulate the access areas. Now, however, they are clearing the road to allow a faster outflow.
The homily recalls the Pope's commitment to peace, the crowd applauds
Applause from the crowd, at Santa Maria Maggiore and St. Peter's, when the dean of the college of cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, recalled Pope Francis' commitment to peace, in his funeral homily. The hundreds of thousands of faithful underlined the most significant passages of the speech, when the cardinal recalled the main values of Bergoglio's pontificate, from the appeals against war to his thoughts on migrants and those in need.
Card.Re: «Francis now pray for us, the world and the Church»
"In spiritual union with all of Christianity, we are here in great numbers to pray for Pope Francis so that God may welcome him into the immensity of his love. Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and personal meetings by saying: 'Do not forget to pray for me'. Now, dear Pope Francis, we ask you to pray for us and we ask you that from heaven you bless the Church, bless Rome, bless the entire world, as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a final embrace with all of God's people, but ideally also with humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope". Thus said the Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re, amid the applause of the faithful, at the end of his homily.
Card.Re: «Key journeys on migrants, wars, dialogue and suburbs»
"It is significant that Pope Francis' first trip was to Lampedusa, an island that is a symbol of the tragedy of emigration with thousands of people drowned at sea," said Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re in his homily at the funeral mass for Pope Francis. "In the same vein," he continued, "was also the trip to Lesbos, together with the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens, as well as the celebration of a Mass on the border between Mexico and the United States, on the occasion of his trip to Mexico." "Of his 47 arduous Apostolic Trips, the one to Iraq in 2021, undertaken in defiance of every risk, will remain in history in a particular way," the Cardinal Dean underlined.
Card.Re: «The name Francis is the choice of a program and a style»
"When Cardinal Bergoglio was elected by the Conclave to succeed Pope Benedict XVI on March 13, 2013, he had years of religious life in the Society of Jesus behind him and, above all, was enriched by the experience of 21 years of pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, first as Auxiliary, then as Coadjutor and later as Archbishop," said Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re in his homily at the funeral Mass for Pope Francis. "The decision to take the name Francis immediately appeared as the choice of a program and a style on which he wanted to base his Pontificate, seeking to draw inspiration from the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi," he added.
Card.Re: «A Pope who chose to give himself until the last day»
"Despite his final fragility and suffering, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of giving until the last day of his earthly life. He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd, who loved his sheep to the point of giving his own life for them. And he did so with strength and serenity, close to his flock, the Church of God." This was said by Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re in the homily of the funeral mass for Pope Francis.
Cardinal Re: «A Pope who touched minds and hearts, a plebiscite of affection for him»
"The plebiscite of expressions of affection and participation, which we have seen in these days after his passing from this earth to eternity, tells us how much the intense Pontificate of Pope Francis has touched minds and hearts." Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, said this in his homily at the funeral mass for Pope Francis. "His last image, which will remain in our eyes and in our hearts," he continued, "is that of last Sunday, the Solemnity of Easter, when Pope Francis, despite serious health problems, wanted to impart his blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and then wanted to come down to this square to greet the great crowd gathered for Easter Mass from the open popemobile." "With our prayers we now want to entrust the soul of the beloved Pontiff to God, so that He may grant him eternal happiness in the luminous and glorious horizon of his immense love," added the Cardinal Dean.
The Gospel of John is read
The funeral of Pope Francis has begun. The funeral mass, after the initial rites, moved on to the liturgy of the Word. The first reading in English, the psalm sung in Latin, the second reading in Spanish. The Gospel passage is taken from that of John.
Vatican: "200,000 people at the Pope's funeral"
"At this time, the competent authorities inform that approximately 200,000 people are participating in the funeral of Pope Francis." This was announced by the Holy See Press Office.
The ceremony begins, with almost a thousand concelebrants
The procession of cardinals and bishops introduced the beginning of the funeral mass for Pope Francis, on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica. The Funeral Liturgy is concelebrated first by the cardinals and patriarchs of the Eastern Churches, and presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. In all, according to the order of service, the concelebrants are 970, including cardinals (220) and bishops and priests (750).
In the churchyard of the Basilica there is also the Marian icon of Salus Populi Romani, so dear to the deceased Pontiff.
A long applause greets the Pope's coffin arriving in the square
The coffin of Pope Francis arrived in St. Peter's Square greeted by a long and emotional applause from the faithful in St. Peter's Square. It will be placed on a carpet in the churchyard where the funeral will begin shortly.
Pope: Procession of Cardinals Begins in Basilica
The procession of cardinals preceding the arrival of Pope Francis' coffin in the square has begun in St. Peter's Basilica.
Police Headquarters, thousands of faithful along the funeral procession route
Thousands of faithful are already positioned along the route that the funeral procession of Pope Francis will take at the end of the funeral to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for the burial. This is the estimate that emerges from the Center for the Management of the Security of the event of the Police Headquarters of Rome. The monitors of the operations room of the Police Headquarters show faithful behind the barriers at various points of the six-kilometer route that will pass through the streets of the center.
Thousands of people already positioned in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore
Thousands of people have already crowded the area of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore where Pope Francis' coffin will arrive for burial after the funeral. The faithful began lining up at the gates in the early hours of the morning. A giant screen has also been set up in the square to broadcast the funeral from St. Peter's Square.
Police Headquarters: 50,000 in St. Peter's Square, the square is closed
Access to St. Peter's Square has been closed, where the maximum capacity of 50,000 people has been reached. The influx of faithful continues in Via della Conciliazione, where there are currently 100,000 people. This is the estimate that emerges from the Event Security Management Center of the Rome Police Headquarters. The influx of faithful continues in the area.
Ursula Von der Leyen arrived at St. Peter's Square
The President of the EU Commission Ursula Von der Leyen has arrived at St. Peter's Square. Presidents, world leaders and crowned heads are gradually taking their places in the churchyard. Even the Argentine President Javier Milei has taken a front row seat, as decided by Vatican protocol.
Mattarella, the homage to the Pope in St. Peter's Basilica
The President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, with his daughter Laura, pays homage to the Pope in the closed coffin, still in St. Peter's Basilica awaiting the funeral in the square.
Trump and Melania pay homage to the Pope in the basilica
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania paid homage to the Pope, in the coffin that is still in St. Peter's Basilica. They paused in prayer in front of the coffin.
Police Headquarters, 140,000 people already in San Pietro
There are already 140 thousand people who have arrived in the area of St. Peter's to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. 140 delegations have already entered the Vatican. This is the estimate that emerges from the Center for the Management of Event Security of the Rome Police Headquarters. About an hour before the start of the ceremony, St. Peter's Square is close to filling its capacity of 40 thousand people. An estimated 100 thousand people are already present in via Conciliazione and along the influx routes.
Five giant screens in St. Peter's Square
There are five giant screens set up in St. Peter's Square: two under the churchyard, two more on the sides of the colonnade, and one before Via della Conciliazione. The songs echo from the speakers, while the sun begins to warm the square and the faithful who continue to arrive.
The Pope's hearse will be a popemobile
The Pope will make his last earthly "journey" aboard a popemobile. For the funeral procession from St. Peter's to Santa Maria Maggiore, after the funeral, the floor of a popemobile that the Pope had used on a trip to the East was refitted. This was the solution to having an open vehicle and allowing everyone to see the Pope's coffin pass through the streets of Rome at the end of the funeral.
Gates open, faithful at St. Peter's for the Pope's funeral
The faithful are starting to flock to St. Peter's Square for the funeral of Pope Francis. There are many young people present, who had come to Rome for their Jubilee with their educators. There are families, groups of religious men and women, parishes. The gates opened at 5:30. The security measures and controls are tight.
![Giovanni Angelo Becciu walks next to the coffin after paying his respects during a ceremony inside St Peter's Basilica following the procession of the late Pope's coffin from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican on April 23, 2025. The Pope died of a stroke, the Vatican announced hours after the death on April 21, 2025, of the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)](https://immagini.unionesarda.it/version/c:YmI1MzQ0NmUtNzIzNi00:YmI1YzBkYmYtNDlkZi00/image.webp?f=3%3A2&q=0.75&w=3840 "Becciu case, the audio of the "plot" on the alleged maneuvers against him on Le Iene")
![Foto carabinieri generica, auto con militare dell'Arma con paletta / Foto Carabinieri](https://immagini.unionesarda.it/version/c:NjdlOGNkZjEtMTYwZi00:MTc4YmY4ZDQtMTQ3Zi00/image.webp?f=3%3A2&q=0.75&w=3840 "He shoots and kills his 23-year-old son during a party: "He intervened to quell a fight"")