Pope Francis was laid to relaxation Saturday on the Basilica of St. Mary Main in Rome after dying at 88 years outdated on April 21.
Greater than 250,000 folks turned out to bid farewell to the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The gang at St. Peter’s Sq. within the Vatican included many younger folks and world leaders, giving us some essential snapshots of our political second.
Listed below are some key moments from the historic occasion:
Francis remembered as ‘pope among the many folks’
At his funeral, Pope Francis was remembered and commemorated as a pontiff with “energy and serenity” who modeled his hold forth on St. Francis of Assisi. The dean of the School of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, delivered the homily in entrance of mourners in St. Peter’s Sq..
Basic view of late Pope Francis’ coffin throughout the funeral ceremony in St Peter’s Sq., on the Vatican, April 26, 2025.
Alberto Pizzoli/AFP through Getty Pictures
“He established direct contact with people and peoples, wanting to be near everybody, with a marked consideration to these in problem, giving himself with out measure, particularly to the marginalized, the least amongst us,” Re mentioned.
“He was a Pope among the many folks, with an open coronary heart in direction of everybody. He was additionally a Pope attentive to the indicators of the instances and what the Holy Spirit was awakening within the Church.”
Younger folks play a distinguished function in Pope Francis’ funeral
Pope Francis’ outreach resonated with the youthful generations, hundreds of whom had been current in St. Peter’s Sq. to mourn the late pontiff throughout his funeral on Saturday morning.
About 80,000 youngsters had registered for the Jubilee of Youngstersa particular occasion for worshippers between the ages of 12 and 17 throughout the Catholic Church’s Jubilee yr of 2025, in accordance with the Dicastery for Evangelization, a division of the Roman Curia — the central governing physique of the Catholic Church.
Folks collect alongside By way of della Conciliazione road throughout Pope Francis’ funeral ceremony, close to the Vatican in Rome, April 26, 2025.
Henry Nicholls/AFP through Getty Pictures
Some adjustments had been made to the occasion, scheduled for Friday and Sunday, resulting from Francis’ demise. The canonization of Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 on the age of 15 from leukemia, was postponed. Acutis, an Italian teen recognized for his devotion to the Eucharist, is about to grow to be the primary “millennial” saint upon his canonization, which was formally authorized by Francis in July 2024.
Crowd applauds as Pope Francis’ coffin is introduced out of basilica
The mourners assembled in St. Peter’s Sq. broke into applause as pallbearers carried the pope’s coffin outdoors. It was the location of Pope Francis’ final official act, when he celebrated Easter Sunday a day earlier than he died on April 21.
American reporter delivers 1st studying
Some younger adults even performed a distinguished function within the funeral proceedings. American Kielce Gussie, 28, did the primary studying in English — a number of verses from the Acts of the Apostles.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of Pope Francis’s funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica on the Vatican, April 26, 2025.
Ukrainan Presidencial ServiceAFP through Getty Pictures
Gussie works as a journalist at Vatican Information and accomplished her undergraduate diploma in theology at Mount St. Mary’s College. She additionally has a licentiate diploma in church communication from Rome’s Pontifical College of the Holy Cross.
Crowd applauds Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in attendance along with his spouse Olena Zelenska, earned applause from the group in St. Peter’s Sq. appeared on the screens across the space.
Zelenskyy has led Ukraine throughout the nation’s struggle with Russia, which escalated in 2022 after the Russian invasion of the Jap European nation.
President Donald Trump met privately with Zelenskyy previous to the funeral and had a “very productive session,” White Home Communications Director Steven Cheung advised the press pool touring with Trump.
American Kielce Gussie, who works as a journalist at Vatican Information, did the primary studying in English throughout the funeral of Pope Francis, on the Vatican, April 26, 2025.
ABC Information
It was the primary assembly between the 2 males since their contentious February assembly within the Oval Workplace, wherein Trump and Vice President JD Vance rebuked Zelenskyy for his dealing with of the struggle.
First woman Melania Trump joined the president on the funeral. Former President Joe Biden and former first woman Jill Biden attended the funeral as nicely, sitting about 4 rows behind the Trumps.
Pages of the E-book of Gospels blow within the wind
It is among the most poignant and iconic moments in papal funerals: the straightforward but profound picture of the breeze blowing the pages of the E-book of the Gospels resting on prime of the pope’s coffin in St. Peter’s Sq..
A web page of the ebook of the gospels studying ‘Within the Ardour and demise of the Lord’ is seen on the coffin of late Pope Francis throughout the funeral ceremony at St Peter’s Sq. within the Vatican, April 26, 2025.
Tiziana Fabi/AFP VIA Getty Pictures
The ebook was opened to the studying, “Within the Ardour and demise of the Lord.”
Bells toll as coffin is introduced again into basilica
The coffin carrying Pope Francis was introduced by the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica for a closing time as bells tolled for the pope all through the Vatican.
The funeral, which lasted greater than two hours, concluded with bells ringing for the pontiff. His coffin was taken to Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Main the place he was laid to relaxation.
1000’s line streets of Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral procession
The four-mile route between St. Peter’s Basilica and the ultimate resting place of Pope Francis — the Basilica of St. Mary Main in Rome — was lined with tens of hundreds of mourners following his funeral on Saturday morning.
Folks could possibly be seen crying and applauding as Francis’ coffin drove by.
The coffin of late Pope Francis is seen in entrance of the Colosseum as it’s transported from St Peter’s Basilica to Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, throughout the funeral ceremony in Rome, April 26, 2025.
Mauro Scrobogna/LaPresse through ap
Francis’ coffin was positioned within the mattress of a white pickup truck, the place it was seen to the hundreds lining the streets. The procession took the pope’s physique previous a few of Rome’s historic landmarks, such because the Roman Discussion board and the Colosseum.
When Pope Francis arrived on the Basilica of Saint Mary Main, it was the final time he was seen in public earlier than his burial. The basilica will reopen to guests once more on Sunday.
ABC Information’ Alexandra Hutzler, Kevin Shalvey, Jon Haworth, Hannah Demissie, Molly Nagle, Alex Ederson, Phoebe Natanson and Thomas Dunlavey.
