Pope Francis' last tripRome cannot be understood without the Pope. The enormous Vatican dome dominates the city as a perennial reminder of the presence of the successor of Peter. A presence that - with a few rare exceptions - has shaped the physiognomy and character of the city for more than twenty centuries. caput mundi.
Nor was it possible to understand Pope Francis without the people. The bishop of Rome, whom the cardinals had gone to look for "at the end of the world" (as he himself said when he was elected, on March 13, 2013), did everything possible during his 12 years of pontificate to be close to his people, to be a shepherd "with the smell of sheep", with an expression also "Bergoglian".
It was therefore not surprising that several thousand Romans and faithful from all five continents gathered today - from five o'clock in the morning - in the Square and the surrounding streets such as Via della Conciliazione, to pay their last respects to the Argentine pontiff and participate in the funeral Mass, which began at 10 a.m. on a radiant spring Saturday morning.
The funeral in figures
Francis wanted his funeral to be a simple ceremony, and even modified and simplified the pontiff's funeral rituals, but the relevance of his position and his influence have contradicted this will: the figures spoke of some 160 official delegations, 50 heads of state, a dozen reigning monarchs, ministers, ambassadors, leaders of other Christian confessions and other religions. In addition to 2,700 accredited journalists and a forecast of some 250,000 faithful in the square and as many others accompanying their procession at the end of the Mass.
The press these days highlighted the names of the world's "front row" that would be present: Trump and Biden, Mattarella and Meloni, Millei and Lula, Macron and Zelenski, the UN Secretary General or the King and Queen of Spain. Men of faith who have had a friendly relationship with the Pope, such as the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, or the Rabbi of Rome representing the Jewish community, also wanted to be present.
Drones and helicopters have been flying over the skies of Rome since a few hours before the ceremony. The security deployment has been in accordance with the list of rulers and leaders of the world: 11,000 agents have been in charge of ensuring that the ceremony took place smoothly.
The coffin is moved to the Plaza
At 9:45 a.m., after the recitation of the Holy Rosary, the bells of the Basilica rang out with a funereal ringing. The coffin with the remains of Pope Francis made its entrance into the Basilica. sagrato from inside the temple at about 10.05 am. These days we had seen that it was a simple wooden box. Since yesterday it has been covered by a cover made of the same wood, adorned with a large cross and Bergoglio's episcopal seal with the motto "miserando atque eligendo". An open Gospel has been placed on top.
The Mass was presided over by the Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, who has an important role these days, as he will also be in charge of convening the conclave in which the next pontiff will be elected. Re was the one who officiated at the funeral of Benedict XVI, on January 5, 2023, presided over by Francis.
It is Easter and a tapestry depicting the Risen Christ has decorated the façade of the Vatican Basilica. There was also an image of the Virgin Mary, of the invocation Salus Populi Romani - so venerated by Francis - on one side of the altar.
In the Gospel we read the 21st chapter of John, which records the dialogue between Jesus and Peter on the shores of the Sea of Gennesaret after the resurrection. A conversation in which Christ asks the first of his apostles three times if he loves him, and also recommends him three times to feed his sheep. It was moving to listen to it and to think how Francis has tried to be faithful to this command. The words: "Another will gird you and lead you where you do not want to go...", speak of the last period of his pontificate, marked by illness.
Homily summary of the pontificate
Cardinal Re, 91 years old, began by recalling that just six days ago we had been in that same square with Francis, at the Urbi et Orbe blessing: "His Holiness, the Pope, has said to us: "His last The image that will remain in our eyes and in our hearts is that of last Sunday, the Solemnity of Easter, when Pope Francis, despite serious health problems, gave us his blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and then came down to this square to greet the large crowd gathered for Easter Mass from the open popemobile.
In his homily, the Cardinal reviewed the main milestones of Francis' pontificate, his travels and his encyclicals. At several moments the faithful interrupted his words with applause.
"The decision to take the name Francis immediately seemed to be a programmatic and stylistic choice with which he wanted to project his Pontificate, seeking inspiration in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. He retained his temperament and his form of pastoral guidance, and immediately gave the imprint of his strong personality in the government of the Church, establishing direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with special attention to people in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially for the last of the earth, the marginalized. He was a Pope in the midst of the people with a heart open to all. He was also a Pope attentive to what was new in society and to what the Holy Spirit was arousing in the Church.
Re highlighted several characteristic notes of Francis: "his characteristic vocabulary and his language rich in images and metaphors", with which "he sought to illuminate the problems of our time with the wisdom of the Gospel", as well as his "great spontaneity and an informal way of addressing everyone", and his "human warmth and profound sensitivity to the dramas of today". Also "his charism of welcoming and listening, united to a way of acting proper to today's sensitivity", with which he "touched hearts, trying to awaken moral and spiritual forces".
We pray for you, pray for us
The dean of the College of Cardinals pointed out that "mercy and joy of the Gospel are two key concepts of Pope Francis" and that, "in the face of the outbreak of so many wars in recent years, with inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace".
Re concluded his homily by recalling that "Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying: "Don't forget to pray for me". And he then addressed a few words to the Argentine pontiff: "Dear Pope Francis, now we ask you to pray for us and from heaven bless the Church, bless Rome, bless the whole world, as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a last embrace with all the People of God, but ideally also with humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope".
The farewell
At the end of the ceremony a moment of great liturgical beauty was experienced when all the patriarchs, major archbishops and metropolitans of the Metropolitan Eastern Catholic Churches approached the coffin and sang a long prayer in Greek.
After the recitation of the responsory, the porters took the coffin and lifted it up before carrying it to the square so that the faithful could greet the Pope, which was translated into a great applause as thanksgiving and final homage. The times we greeted Francis at the Sunday Angelus or the Wednesday audiences came to mind, and tears welled up in our eyes at the thought that this was the last time we would meet him in the Square.
After the funeral Mass, a procession carried the Pontiff from St. Peter's to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he was buried according to his express wishes. Many Romans did not dare to go to the Vatican, but they were present in the streets of Rome, along the six-kilometer route that the procession followed through the center of the city, to bid farewell to their bishop.
Pope Francis' last trip
