Surprise Over Images Released by the Holy See of Pope Francis's Burial

This morning, the final farewell to Pope Francis was given in a ceremony filled with emotion, simplicity, and humanity, values that marked his pontificate. At 10:00 a.m., in a crowded St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, the funeral mass took place, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals.

Pope Francis passed away on April 21, at the age of 88, due to a stroke and irreversible heart failure. His departure has left a deep void among the faithful and those who saw in him a symbol of closeness and defense of the most vulnerable.

More than 250,000 people crowded the square and its surroundings to pay tribute. Among them, political, religious, and social leaders from around the world. Figures like Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Javier Milei, and the Kings of Spain, Felipe VI and Letizia, attended the emotional event. All of them along with more than 140 official delegations and eighty heads of state.

The Rite of the Burial of Pope Francis's Coffin Took Place in Privacy

After the ceremony, Pope Francis's coffin was transported in an adapted popemobile, making a final and symbolic journey through Rome. The procession passed through Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum until reaching the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of Pope Francis's most beloved places.

In this temple, the burial act was held, as he himself had requested: in privacy and with sobriety. The ceremony began at 1:00 p.m. and concluded around 1:30 p.m., in an atmosphere of reflection.

Alongside his coffin, escorting him in the final farewell, were the cardinals who participated in the funeral procession. They all paid tribute to him in the chapel where the Virgin Salus Populi Romani is venerated, to whom Francis had a special devotion.

Although it was a reserved act, the Holy See released images of the burial: a moving testimony of the sobriety, love, and respect with which Rome bid farewell to its Pope. In the brief video released, the reflection of those present and the deep emotion that permeated every gesture and every prayer can be seen, in a final farewell filled with simplicity.

Pope Francis now rests between the Pauline Chapel and the Sforza Chapel, in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. He does so under a simple white marble slab from Liguria, engraved only with his name, Franciscus, and accompanied by a silver reproduction of his pectoral cross. A humble tomb, without ornaments or grandiloquence, a faithful reflection of the close and generous life that characterized his pontificate from the first day.

Starting tomorrow, Sunday, April 27, 2025, his burial site will be open to the public. Thus, the faithful from all over the world will be able to come to pay tribute to the pontiff who, until the last moment, wanted to be close to the people.