The long goodbye: 250 thousand faithful paid homage to Pope Francis in Rome

A long river of 250 thousand people wanted to give the Pope their last farewell these days. Despite the queues, the heat and at times the rain, each of them wanted to pay homage to the Pope who came "from the end of the world".

Many prayers, but also many tears in these days, even if what Bergoglio liked to do most was laugh with his people.

Tomorrow morning, before the burial in Santa Maria Maggiore, the funeral will take place in St. Peter's Square, where over 200,000 people are expected to arrive.

The security machinery, given the large influx, but also the presence of Heads of State and crowned heads arriving from all over the world, is already ready.

Immediately after, as has rarely happened in the past, the funeral procession will pass through the center of the Capital. The coffin, on a carriage, will be visible to all, behind the cardinals' cars and a walking pace, even an hour, through that city that he had embraced twelve years ago, becoming its bishop, as he loved to remember whenever he could.

A few hours ago the closing of the coffin: an ancient and solemn rite, with the placing of the white silk veil on the face and the insertion of the bag with the coins of the pontificate and the tube with the deed.

Among the last people to say goodbye to Franciscus are his beloved cousins who arrived today from Asti, Nobel Prize winner Mohamed Yunus, who shared with him many battles for a fairer economy. At the end of the evening, French President Emmanuel Macron arrives, but next to him is also Mrs. Carmela, the one who brought a bouquet of yellow flowers to Gemelli and whom the Pope greeted from the balcony. And tomorrow, in addition to the numerous authorities, there will be migrants, homeless people, victims of trafficking, trans people to greet Pope Francis: people that Bergoglio had known one by one, had helped, comforted and encouraged and tomorrow they will be there, in Santa Maria Maggiore, where Francis chose to be buried, for a last earthly embrace, in a sort of guard of honor.

(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)