Pope Francis Laid to Rest in Rome in a Humble Ceremony Reflecting His Life of Simplicity and Compassion
- Victor Nwoko
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Pope Francis, remembered for his humility, inclusiveness, and mercy throughout his 12-year papacy, was laid to rest Saturday following a service he deliberately simplified. Tens of thousands of mourners and dozens of world leaders and dignitaries gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican to pay their final respects. After the Mass, his coffin was transported by motorcade through the streets of Rome, lined by cheering crowds, before reaching his burial site.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, presided over the funeral and praised Pope Francis in his homily as "a pope among the people, with an open heart toward everyone." The Mass began with readings from Scripture after pallbearers carried Francis' simple wooden coffin, adorned with a large cross, into the square. Applause echoed through the crowd and the bells of St. Peter’s tolled. Many mourners had camped out overnight to secure a place to witness the service. Maria Fierro from Spain and James Mary, a Franciscan nun, described their vigil as emotional and necessary to bid farewell to a "living saint."
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, led the Catholic Church’s 1.4 billion members until his passing on Easter Monday at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke. Despite earlier respiratory struggles, he thrilled crowds on Easter Sunday with an impromptu appearance in the popemobile. Known as "the people's pope," Francis championed the poor and marginalized, often defying tradition by living in modest accommodations, traveling by public transport, and embracing a simple wardrobe of plain white cassocks.
In line with his commitment to simplicity, Pope Francis had scaled back the rules for papal funerals and requested a modest burial. His funeral lasted two hours, notably shorter than the three-hour service for Pope John Paul II. In his final wishes, he asked to be buried inside a simple tomb between the Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani and the Sforza Chapel within the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, marking the first time in nearly a century that a pope was buried outside of the Vatican. His tomb bears only the inscription "Franciscus," without elaborate ornamentation.
The tomb is made of Ligurian marble, a fine-grained stone symbolic of his family’s humble origins from Cogorno, southeast of Genoa in Italy’s Liguria region. Franca Garbaino, president of the Slate District in Liguria, described it as "the people’s stone," reflecting Pope Francis' lifelong bond with ordinary people.
During the funeral, Cardinal Re highlighted Pope Francis' legacy of building bridges rather than walls, referencing the pope’s historic Mass at the U.S.-Mexico border and his first foreign trip to Lampedusa, where he met with refugees and migrants. These moments underscored his unwavering advocacy for human dignity, especially for those displaced by conflict and poverty.
Ahead of the funeral service, former U.S. President Donald Trump held a brief private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The White House reported the conversation as "very productive," with additional details to be shared later. This marked their first meeting since a tense exchange in February regarding the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
Cardinal Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, who has spent decades serving in the Roman Curia, presided over the funeral Mass, joined by patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and priests from around the world. The College of Cardinals will later be responsible for electing the next pope through the papal conclave.
Pope Francis' burial marked the conclusion of a papacy characterized by compassion, humility, and a deep commitment to marginalized communities, leaving a lasting legacy that reshaped the global Catholic Church.
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