Rome witnessed an extraordinary turnout as Pope Francis’s funeral ceremony brought together more than 400,000 mourners on a hazy morning. Teenagers, nuns, and priests of every denomination silently walked toward the St Peter’s Basilica, filling the ancient streets with solemn anticipation.
By 8 a.m., St Peter’s Square reached capacity, buzzing with voices from every Italian region blending Scillian and Milanese accents. Hundreds of photographers gathered atop the colonnade, eagerly snapping pictures of US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The two presidents met privately before the mass and later described Zelenskyy as a meeting with historic potential for cooperation. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanual Macron, and other dignitaries also gathered in St Peter’s Square.
Hymns in Latin floated through the air as colorful pilgrims, white-clad clergy,y, and veiled nuns mingled beneath Michelangelo’s iconic dome. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, led the funeral mass, delivering a homily that recalled Pope Francis’s compassion for migrants and peace advocacy.
He reminded the crowd of the Pope’s journey to Lampedusa and the mass celebrated at the US-Mexico border years ago. Applause broke out several times, particularly when Cardinal Re urged the world’s leaders to build bridges, not walls.
Following the service, a solemn procession carried the Pope’s simple wooden coffin through Rome’s streets and toward Santa Maria Maggiore. Crowds clapped and waved along the procession route, watching the white popemobile pass landmarks like the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia.
The Vatican reported no major setbacks or incidents, praising the crowd’s respect and the smooth handling of such a massive event. Attention now turns to the conclave expected to start in early May, where 135 cardinals will gather to elect the new Pope.
