Pope Francis funeral Highlights | Pope laid to rest in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: More than 100,000 pay respects to Pope Francis in final hours of lying-in-state

More than 100,000 mourners filed into St. Peter's Basilica on Friday to pay their respects to Pope Francis, viewing his open coffin in the final visiting hours ahead of his funeral on Saturday.

(Reuters)

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: President Murmu pays homage

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Multilingual mass will be held at St Peter's Square

Following a multilingual mass held at St Peter's Square, the mortal remains of Pope Francis will be taken to the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, in central Rome, for burial.

(AFP)

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Kiren Rijiju pays his respects

Rijiju wrote on X, "Paid my heartfelt respects to His Holiness Pope Francis at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. Alongside Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu ji, I joined the entire world in mourning a spiritual luminary who touched millions of lives with compassion & grace."

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Zelenskky arrives in Rome for papal funeral

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Rome where he will attend the funeral of Pope Francis, a Ukrainian presidential spokesman said on Saturday.

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: He was leader of humankind: Union Minister George Kurian

Union Minister of State George Kurian on Saturday said that late Pope Francis was a leader of humankind as he acknowledged and respected all races and religions and served everyone.

The Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying is in the Vatican City as part of a delegation led by President Droupadi Murmu to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, who died on April 21.

(PTI)

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: People gather ahead of the funeral mass

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Former US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill arrive

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Royalty and presidents joining multitude of mourners at Pope Francis' funeral

Among those attending from more than 150 countries will be US President Donald Trump,  presidents of Argentina, France, Gabon, Germany, Italy, the Philippines, Poland and Ukraine, together with the prime ministers of Britain and New Zealand, and many European royals.

(Reuters)

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Trump arrives at funeral to pay respects

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Pontiff's coffin brought into St Peter's Square at start of funeral

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Thousands attend Pontiff's funeral, ceremony he helped reimagine

World leaders and Catholic faithful bade farewell to Pope Francis in a funeral Saturday reflecting his priorities as pope and wishes as pastor. Though presidents and princes attended the Mass in St. Peter's Square, prisoners and migrants will welcome him into the basilica across town where he will be laid to rest.

Tens of thousands flocked to the funeral, which Francis choreographed himself when he revised and simplified the Vatican's rites and rituals last year. His aim was to emphasize the pope's role as a mere pastor and not “a powerful man of this world.”

It was a reflection of Francis' 12-year project to radically reform the papacy, to stress priests as servants and to construct “a poor church for the poor.”

(PTI)

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Vatican says 200,000 people attending funeral Mass

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: 'Pope of the people,' says Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re in his eulogy

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re eulogised Pope Francis on Saturday as a pope of the people, a paster who knew how to communicate to the “least among us” with an informal, spontaneous style.

Re called Francis “a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone.”

He recalled the last image many people have of Francis was of him delivering what would become his final blessing on Easter Sunday, and saluting from the popemobile in the same piazza where his funeral was being celebrated. 

(PTI)

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Cardinal's funeral sermon stresses pope's call for Trump to 'build bridges, not walls'

In front of hundreds of world leaders attending the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re called for care for migrants, an end to wars, and action on global climate change - Francis' favourite political themes.

Re repeated one of the pope's strongest criticisms of U.S. President Donald Trump, with Trump himself present in the crowd, by calling to "build bridges, not walls".

Trump and the pope exchanged criticisms over a decade, mostly related to the pope's plea for compassion for migrants, a group Trump has repeatedly sought to deport.

Re's sermon, heard by a global audience of millions, contained a strong political message for the national leaders and a strong internal message to the world's Catholic cardinals.

To the about 135 Catholic cardinals who will soon be tasked with entering a secret conclave to choose the next pope, it was also a possible roadmap for how they should start their deliberations.

In spiritual language, the 91-year-old prelate gave a simple message: there is no going back.

Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America and one who garnered global attention during his 12-year papacy, had been "attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church."

"Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today's challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time," said Re.

He touched people's hearts, said the cardinal, "in a direct and immediate way."

Francis, pope since 2013, died on Monday at age 88.

His funeral on Saturday, which also included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and some 50 other world leaders, was a carefully choreographed affair, with Latin chants, strictly organised seating, and use of ancient Catholic rites.

Re invoked a criticism Francis levied against Trump in 2016, when the real estate mogul was making his first run for president. Trump, the pope said, was "not Christian" because of his views on immigration.

"A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," said Francis at the time. "This is not in the gospel."

Trump responded then, "For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful."

More recently, the pope had called Trump's immigration crackdown in his second term a "disgrace".

'Profound' Pontificate

Re also cited a major document written by Francis in 2015 on climate change, which was intended to influence discussions at the 2016 Paris climate conference, and visits by the pope to the Mediterranean islands of Lampedusa and Lesbos, where he met migrants in detention camps.

There is no clear frontrunner to succeed Francis as pope, but there is a history of sermons at papal funerals influencing conclaves.

At the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, the sermon was delivered by German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who, eleven days later, was elected as Pope Benedict XVI.

Re is 91 years old, cannot enter the conclave and is not a papal contender.

But he suggested the cardinals might take a lesson from the some 250,000 people who paid their final respects to Francis in St. Peter's Basilica in the three days before the funeral.

"The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days following his passing from this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts," said the cardinal.

-Reuters

More than 250,000 people at Pope Francis's funeral: Vatican

-AFP

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Pope's coffin returned to basilica after funeral mass

-AFP

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Pope's coffin leaves Vatican on white popemobile

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Pope's coffin arrives for burial at Rome basilica

The coffin of Pope Francis arrived on Saturday at the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome for burial, following his funeral at the Vatican.

Tens of thousands of people lined the route as the popemobile carrying the coffin of the Argentine, who died on Monday aged 88, was driven to his final resting place.

-AFP

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Trump leaves Rome after pope's funeral, Zelensky talks

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: 150,000 people lined Rome's streets to see pope's coffin: Vatican

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Honour to attend Pope Francis's funeral as part of Indian delegation says, Goa leader De Souza

Pope Francis was a pope with a difference and touched the lives of countless people, Goa's deputy Speaker Joshua De Souza who is part of the Indian delegation attending the funeral of the departed pontiff said on Saturday.

He was honoured to attend the funeral on behalf of the Catholic community in India, he told PTI over phone from the Vatican City. De Souza accompanied Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and George Kurian as part of the delegation led by President Droupadi Murmu at the funeral of Pope Francis who died on April 21.

"World leaders have arrived at the Vatican to pay tributes to Pope Francis. I am honoured because the President of India selected me, a man belonging to the small state of Goa, to accompany her on this important occasion," he said.

"I am proud to attend the event on behalf of the entire Catholic community in Goa and India. It was truly an honour, though the occasion was solemn," said De Souza, BJP MLA from Mapusa. The late pope was a tall leader who worked for the community in a different way, the deputy Speaker said, adding, "He was a pope with a difference."

Pope Francis was friendly, outgoing, and touched the lives of countless people, and the people's feelings towards him could be gauged from the attendance at his funeral, De Souza said. The arrangements at the funeral were excellent, he said, adding that the delegation will leave for India in the evening.

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: At least 400,000 people at Vatican, line Rome streets for pope, says Italy interior minister

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: Pope buried in Santa Maria Maggiore basilica

Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter's Square, the Vatican said on Saturday.

The Argentinian pontiff, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute burial ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital.

-AFP

Pope Francis funeral LIVE: President Murmu attends funeral Mass of Pope Francis

President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday attended the funeral Mass of Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square here.

Francis, who was the first non-European Pope in nearly 1,300 years, died on Monday. He was 88.

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, George Kurian and Deputy Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly, Joshua De Souza, who are part of the official Indian delegation led by the President, also attended the ceremony.

“President Droupadi Murmu attended the funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City,” her office said in a post on X.

Murmu reached here on Friday on a two-day visit to offer condolences on behalf of the government and people of India. Soon after, she paid homage to Pope Francis at the Basilica of St Peter here.

India had declared a three-day state mourning on the passing of Pope Francis.

World leaders and a large number of Catholic followers attended Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday.

-PTI