World says goodbye to Pope Francis in a historic ceremony in the Vatican

After three days of open funeral, the Vatican celebrated on Saturday (26) the Mass of Fenéquias of Pope Francis, in the atrium of the Basilica of St. Peter. The ceremony marks the beginning of the noveniali, nine days of mourning and prayer for the memory of the pontiff.

The wooden and zinc coffin, sealed the night before, was positioned before the altar for the present body mass, accompanied by about 250 cardinals, bishops, priests and religious. Hundreds of thousands of faithful from around the world paid the last honors in a crowd that symbolized the Church of Francis: open to all, as he repeated. The Sistine Chapel Coral packed the celebration.

“In the face of him, a crowd, which should reach hundreds of thousands of people, coming from all geographical, social, political and cultural origins, will pay their last honors,” said the Holy See.

After the solemn rites of the last Commendatio and Valedicio, the coffin was led by the streets of Rome to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maior, where the burial took place. The four -kilometer route redos the spiritual walk Francis to pray before the icon of the Virgin Salus Populi Romani.

“This journey will allow the faithful to say goodbye to his bishop on a path he used to do to pray before the icon of the Virgin Salus Populi Romani before and after each of his apostolic trips and even recently after his hospitalizations,” said the Holy See.

The Argentine Pope’s farewell was attended by 130 foreign delegations, including 50 heads of state and 10 royal members. In the front row, side by side, were the president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the American Donald Trump, the Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky and the Argentine Javier Milei.

Lula classified his presence in the funeral as a “debt payment” to a man who “provided services to humanity” and stressed the desire that the next Pope will have the same heart and social commitment of Francis.

“I have a great appreciation to the figure of Pope Francis. It was a debt that we paid to a man who provided services to humanity. He wanted God that the next Pope was equal to him, with the same heart and with the same religious commitments and in the fight against inequalities,” the Brazilian president told journalists.

Among the leaders present were also Emmanuel Macron (France), Sergio Mattarella (Italy), Ursula von der Leyen (European Union), as well as monarchs such as King Felipe VI of Spain and Prince William of the United Kingdom.

The Vatican announced daily masses in suffrage until May 4, ending the cycle of honors to the pontiff that marked his era by defending the poor, dialogue with different cultures and fighting inequalities.