Payam Javan: On April 26, 2025, St. Peter’s Square hosted a solemn funeral Mass for Pope Francis I, drawing hundreds of thousands of mourners, including world leaders and clergy, under a rising sun. The Mass, celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re outside St. Peter’s Basilica, featured readings from scripture, a multilingual prayer of the faithful, and music by the Sistine Chapel Choir. Attendees included 250 cardinals, numerous bishops, and delegations from 130 nations, with dignitaries like U.S. President Donald Trump, Argentina’s Javier Milei, and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy present. The service concluded with the Rite of Final Commendation, marking a farewell to the pontiff who prioritized the poor throughout his papacy.

Following the Mass, a four-kilometer procession carried Pope Francis’ coffin to his final resting place at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, a site significant to his devotion to the Virgin Salus Populi Romani. The private burial, presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, included a group of the poor—referred to as “the last ones”—honoring Francis’ lifelong commitment to them. His tomb, located near the Altar of St. Francis, was sealed after a rite involving holy water and the Regina Cæli prayer, with official documentation finalized by Vatican officials. This marked the third papal funeral of the millennium, distinct for its break from tradition as Francis chose burial outside St. Peter’s Basilica.