World is saying goodbye to Francis – « the hearts touched »

At the end of an emotional funeral service, the coffin of Pope Francis Slightly erected on St. Peter’s Square. According to liturgical rite, the Pontifex should be able to look at the city of Rome one last time.

Hundreds of state guests, hundreds of thousands of people in the eternal city and millions worldwide have said goodbye from the head of the Catholic Church. « He touched his hearts, » preached Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who led the Requiem on St. Peter’s Square for a little more than two hours.

In addition to the political prominence, monarchs, more than 200 cardinals and a good 4,000 other clergymen, around 250,000 people gathered close to the forecast of the mighty basilica and in the surrounding streets. They performed Francis the last honor after he died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. Around 5:30 a.m. the first people were released on St. Peter’s Square, who was full before the start of the fair.

Subtle appeal in sermon to Trump and Co.

As a Pope with « with great human warmth and deeply sensitive », Kardinal Re described the deceased. In an emotional sermon, the church man told about Francis’ work, of which the commitment to the poor and weak, for peace as well as injustice and war.

This could be understood as a subtle appeal in the direction of the powerful of this world. Some of them were on St. Peter’s Square, such as US President Donald Trump, who was sitting in the front row very close to France President Emmanuel Macron.

The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj took a few places, whose country has been defending himself against the Russian attack war for three years. Trump, Selenskyj and other politicians had met St. Peter’s Basilica for short conversations before the funeral service began.

State of emergency in Rome

The hundreds of politicians from more than 160 delegations caused a state of emergency in Rome. Extreme security measures prevailed mainly because of Trump, who landed at Air Force One at Air Force One at Air Force One.

Several streets were closed. Around 10,000 emergency services were offered to ensure that the major event runs smoothly. Helicopter circled over the city. The entire area around the Vatican is strictly guarded. Snipers, dog squadrons, patrols on the river Tiber, police officers and soldiers with anti-drone technology and other special units were used. The Italian army was also on standby with fighter jets.

The many state guests took a seat on the side of the altar. President Javier Milei from Francis’ Heimatland Argentina was sitting at the front. In addition, the Italians were President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The Grand Ducal Pair had traveled from Luxembourg. Among other things, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the managing Chancellor Olaf Scholz came from Germany. Many international politicians used the funeral service to talk to each other.

Hundreds of thousands of people live fair

The requiem attended a crowd of people in bright sunshine and spring -like temperatures. When St. Peter’s Square was full, people also lined up in the cathedral via Della Conciliazione. On the approximately 500 meter long boulevard and up to the Engelsburg on the Tiber, they followed the funeral service via huge monitors. Linse walls were set up in several places in the city.

A lot of specially used paramedics ensured that people were helped who stood in the sun for too long or became bad. The funeral service lasted a little more than two hours.

Funeral procession by Rome with coffin in the papamobil

After that, the Pope’s coffin was placed on an open papamobile that brought Francis on his last earthly journey. On the closed streets, the convoy first drove over the Tiber, then through the historical center of Rome, over the Piazza Venezia, past the Roman Forum and the most famous symbol of the city, the Colosseum. Finally, after a little less than half an hour, the coffin reached Francis’ favorite church.

The eternal city has not seen such a funeral procession for a long time. Francis has not been buried in the Vatican grottos in St. Peter’s Basilica for more than 120 years, as his predecessors Johannes Paul II and Benedict XVI. Only seven of his predecessors are in Santa Maria Maggiore, most recently Clemens IX. buried there – in 1669.

Final resting place outside the Vatican

In Santa Maria Maggiore, the funeral was planned in relatively small and non-public framework: with cardinals, but also with Franziskus’ close employees and his personal nurse.

At the Pope’s request, there are also some arms and homeless people who can say goodbye to Francis. The Pontifex, which was born on December 17, 1936 when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, had always campaigned for the detached and exhausted of society during his lifetime.

In a document that was placed in his coffin after Catholic rite, it says: « Francis left everyone an admirable testimony of humanity, the holy lifestyle and universal fatherhood. »