Pope Francis to be laid to rest as Church faces pivotal election
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World leaders and mourners gathered at Pope Francis’s funeral, as cardinals prepare to elect a new pope who may uphold or shift his inclusive legacy.
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A view of the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (AP)
Presidents, royalty, and hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered on Saturday at Pope Francis's funeral in St. Peter’s Square, paying tribute to a pontiff remembered for his compassion toward migrants, the marginalized, and his unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship.
The solemn ceremony marked the end of Pope Francis’s 12-year papacy, with many now turning their attention to the Catholic Church’s next chapter.
The coffin of Pope Francis has now been taken inside Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, where he will be laid to rest, making him the first pope since Leo XIII, who died in 1903, to be buried outside the Vatican. A short, private service will take place at the basilica.
The Vatican announced earlier that people will be able to visit Francis’ tomb from Sunday morning.
On one side of Francis’s coffin during the ceremony sat US President Donald Trump, whose often tense relationship with the pope had been shaped by sharp differences over issues such as immigration and climate change.
Opposite Trump were the cardinals, soon to begin the decisive task of selecting a new pope who could either continue Francis’s vision of a more inclusive Church or steer the institution toward a more traditional path.
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, delivering the homily, praised Pope Francis as "rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today's challenges," emphasizing his solidarity with those who suffer, his advocacy for peace, and his urgent calls for global action on the climate crisis.
The crowd, estimated at 250,000, filled St. Peter’s Square and spilled into surrounding streets, applauding as Re recounted the late pope’s lifelong dedication to humanitarian causes and his persistent push for diplomatic solutions to global conflicts.
As the two-hour funeral service concluded, applause again erupted when ushers raised the casket, allowing the mourners a final view before placing it on an open-topped popemobile.
Accompanied by the tolling of church bells, the procession made its way through central Rome toward St. Mary Major Basilica, in accordance with Francis’s wish to be buried there, a break from the centuries-old tradition of papal interment in St. Peter’s crypt.
Pope Francis’s decision to forgo the lavish customs associated with the papacy was reflected throughout his tenure, and his funeral honored that humility.
The scene from above revealed a striking mosaic of colors: world leaders in black, cardinals in crimson, bishops in purple, and priests in white, all gathered among the sea of mourners in a powerful display of global reverence.
The Catholic Church now faces a crucial period as cardinals under the age of 80 prepare for the conclave that will determine Francis’s successor. In the Sistine Chapel, they will follow a time-honored process, casting secret ballots until a candidate secures a two-thirds majority.
Until then, the world will watch the chapel’s chimney for its signal: black smoke for no decision, and white smoke for the election of a new pope. The outcome will profoundly shape the Church’s theological direction and influence its role in addressing contemporary global challenges, continuing or diverging from the legacy Pope Francis leaves behind.
