Pope Francis laid to rest in Rome; 400,000 mourners bid farewell to the ‘pope among the people’

Around 400,000 mourners filled St. Peter’s Square and the streets of Rome on Saturday, April 26, to bid farewell to Pope Francis, who led the Catholic Church since 2013 and was widely revered as a champion of the poor.

Following a solemn funeral service, the plain wooden coffin of Pope Francis — a symbol of his humility — was transported to his favorite Roman church, Santa Maria Maggiore. In a private ceremony, he was interred in a marble tomb simply inscribed with the word: "Franciscus."

Resting between sacred chapels

Pope Francis was laid to rest in the side aisle of the Basilica of St Mary Major, a place deeply tied to his devotion to Our Lady ‘Salus Populi Romani,’ the Vatican announced.

The Pope's final resting place is between the Pauline Chapel, where the revered icon of Our Lady ‘Salus Populi Romani’ is kept, and the Sforza Chapel.

“The Pope’s burial rite was a deeply prayerful moment, rich with tradition and devotion," Vatican officials said.

Burial rite: Psalms, intercessions, and the Our Father

The ceremony began with the chanting of four psalms, followed by five intercessions, leading to the singing of the Our Father.

After the final prayer, the coffin was sealed with the official sigils.

“The sigils of the Cardinal Camerlengo, the Prefecture of the Papal Household, the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Roman Pontiff, and the Liberian Chapter were printed on the coffin,” the Vatican explained.

Final blessings and burial act

After the coffin was placed into the tomb, it was sprinkled with holy water as the Regina Caeli hymn was chanted.

The formal burial act was then read aloud by the notary of the Liberian Chapter.

“This document certifying the burial was read in the presence of all and signed by the Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell, Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, and Archbishop Diego Ravelli," the Vatican stated.

World leaders pay tribute

More than 50 heads of state attended, including US President Donald Trump, who met several leaders before the ceremony — notably Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky — marking their first meeting since a heated Oval Office clash in February.

Trump, despite past tensions with Pope Francis over migration issues, called him: "A good man who loved the world."

Other leaders present included Joe Biden, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, and Lebanon’s Joseph Aoun.

A Pope of compassion and change

During the homily, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re described Pope Francis as: "A pope among the people, with an open heart," adding that he believed the Church should be "a home for all, with its doors always open."

Pope Francis’s 12-year papacy was marked by his drive toward a more inclusive Church — allowing communion for divorced believers, blessing same-sex couples, and welcoming transgender individuals into the faith.

Yet he maintained traditional stances on other issues like abortion, illustrating the delicate balance he sought between tradition and reform.

Calls for peace and justice

Highlighting Pope Francis’s constant advocacy for peace, Cardinal Re noted his insistence on: "Reason and honest negotiation" in efforts to resolve global conflicts.

Pope Francis’s first major papal trip to Lampedusa, his mass at the Mexico-US border, and his outspoken support for migrants reflected his lifelong commitment to the marginalised.

Security and ceremony

Italian and Vatican authorities deployed snipers on rooftops and fighter jets on standby to safeguard the event. Red-robed cardinals and purple-hatted bishops sat alongside world dignitaries as the faithful gathered under clear blue skies.

In front of the altar rested the simple cypress coffin, adorned with a pale cross — a final testament to Francis’s humility.

Legacy of a people's Pope

Pope Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio in 1936 in the poor Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires, died at age 88 from a stroke and heart failure, less than a month after recovering from pneumonia.

In his final public act — an Easter Sunday blessing — Francis once again urged protection for "the vulnerable, the marginalised, and migrants."

Throughout his papacy, Francis embraced the motto of Saint Francis of Assisi: "A poor Church for the poor," opting to live in a Vatican guesthouse rather than the traditional papal palace.