Pilgrims and the powerful come together for Pope Francis’s funeral
Angela Giuffrida
My colleague, Angela Giuffrida, is reporting from Vatican City and has this report:
Pope Francis has been eulogised as “a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone” during a funeral mass that brought together an array of mourners, from pilgrims and refugees to powerful world leaders and royals.
Francis, 88, died on Monday after a stroke and subsequent heart failure, setting into motion a series of centuries-old rituals and a huge, meticulously planned logistical and security operation not seen in Italy since the funeral of John Paul II in April 2005.
The crowd erupted into applause as the late pontiff’s wooden coffin was carried from the altar of the 16th-century St Peter’s Basilica, where it had laid in state for three days, by 14 white-gloved pallbearers and into the square for the open-air ceremony.
Applause also rang out when the Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who presided over the funeral mass, spoke of Francis’s care for immigrants, his constant pleas for peace, the need for negotiations to end wars and the importance of the climate.
Under a blue sky, more than 250,000 pilgrims descended on the Vatican, with the crowds stretching along Via della Conciliazione, the road connecting the Italian capital with the Vatican.
More than 2,000 journalists from around the world travelled to Rome to cover the event.
The 90-minute mass was celebrated by 220 cardinals, 750 bishops and more than 4,000 priests.
“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,” Battista Re said at the start of his eulogy.
Key events
Conclave: the Vatican’s secret process for choosing a new pope
Harriet Sherwood
The next pope will be chosen by the College of Cardinals, the Catholic church’s most senior figures appointed by the pontiff, who will make their way to Rome in the next few days for the conclave. The name comes from the Latin cum clave, meaning “with key”, indicating the closed process of electing a pope.
There are more than 250 cardinals from more than 90 countries, but only about 135 are cardinal electors (those over the age of 80 are excluded). About 110 of the cardinal electors have been chosen by Francis in the past 10 years and largely reflect his vision of a more inclusive church.
Once the cardinals are assembled in Rome, usually 15-20 days after the pope’s death, they gather under Michelangelo’s magnificent painted ceiling in the Sistine Chapel to begin their deliberations. After the words extra omnes – everyone out – are declared, referring to all but voting cardinals and a handful of officials and doctors, the doors are locked.
The cardinals swear an oath of absolute secrecy, and are permitted no contact with the outside world for the duration of the election process. Their phones are removed, and no newspapers, television, letters or messages are allowed. The chapel is also swept for listening devices before and during the conclave.
The cardinals sleep and eat in a purpose-built hostel, St Martha’s house, near the Sistine Chapel, where Pope Francis had lived for the past 12 years.
The conclave begins with a celebration of mass, after which deliberations and voting begins. Votes are taken each day, morning and afternoon, until a candidate wins a two-thirds majority. There is a day’s break for prayer and reflection after every seven ballots. The longest papal conclave in recent history was 1922, when the cardinals took five days to choose their new leader.
Any baptised male can be elected as pope, although a serving cardinal is invariably chosen. Each elector is given a ballot card with the words eligo in summum pontificem (I elect as supreme pontiff) printed at the top. They insert the name of their choice, fold the card and drop it into a chalice.
The ballot is secret, but that does not mean the process is immune from factionalising, intrigue and lobbying.
After each round of voting, the ballot cards are burned. Chemicals are added to make the smoke black or white. Black smoke emerging from the 60ft chimney indicates an inconclusive ballot; white smoke announces to the world that a new pope has been elected.
The successful candidate is asked if he accepts election and, if so, which name he chooses to take as pontiff. The cardinals pledge obedience to the new pope, who is led into the adjacent Room of Tears to be dressed in a white cassock and skull cap, and red slippers. Three sets of vestments in different sizes will have been made by Vatican tailors in advance.
The dean of the cardinals steps on to the main balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, in front of which thousands of Catholic devotees and tourists will be gathered. The dean will declare: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus papam” – “I announce to you a great joy: We have a pope.”
Guardian readers have reflected on the life of Pope Francis, the late Roman Catholic pontiff, who spoke up for marginalised and vulnerable people.
You can read the letters here:
William Christou
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy used their time at the Vatican while attending the funeral of Pope Francis to discuss a possible ceasefire with Russia, with the Ukrainian president releasing a photograph of a seemingly intense conversation in St Peter’s Basilica.
The White House described the meeting as “very productive”, while Zelenskyy said on X that the talk with the US president was very symbolic and had the “potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results”.
It was the first time that Zelenskyy and Trump had met face to face after a frosty February encounter in the White House where Trump and the US vice-president, JD Vance, berated the Ukrainian leader and accused him of ingratitude for US aid.
In an effort to end fighting between Ukraine and Russia, Washington is engaging in intense mediation betweenthe two countries, at war since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
On Friday, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow for three hours to discuss Washington’s peace proposal. Trump said that “most of the major points are agreed to”, in a post on his Truth Social platform, without further elaboration. He called for a meeting between Kyiv and Moscow’s leadership to sign a ceasefire deal, which he said was “very close”.
Despite Trump’s eagerness for a deal, significant differences remain between the US vision for peace and what Ukraine and its European allies have deemed acceptable conditions for a ceasefire.
Footage shared by the Holy See showed cardinals marking Pope Francis’s wooden and zinc coffin with red wax seals, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, sprinkled it with holy water after it was lowered into a tomb set inside an alcove. A reproduction of the pectoral cross worn by Francis during his lifetime hung above it.
Francis had asked that the tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, be simple and unadorned, reflecting the humble spirit of his papacy. The tombstone bears only the inscription “Franciscus” – the pope’s name in Latin.
Its marble is sourced from Liguria, the north-western Italian region once home to the Argentine pontiff’s Italian ancestors.
Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will the exact spot he wanted to be buried, in the side nave of the beloved fifth-century church.
The pontiff was devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point of praying in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome. He declared his desire to be entombed there in 2023.
Located in the heart of Rome, the basilica already holds the tombs of seven popes, reports AFP, but the last one to be buried there was Clement IX in 1669. More recently popes have usually been buried in St Peter’s Basilica.
One of four papal basilicas in Rome, Santa Maria Maggiore also holds the remains of several other renowned figures, such as the architect and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who designed St Peter’s Square and its surrounding columns.
Built in about AD432 under Pope Sixtus III, the basilica holds some of the Catholic church’s most important relics, including an icon of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus, attributed to Saint Luke, reports AFP.
Cardinals have performed the rite of burial for Pope Francis at his simple tomb inside Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.
The burial ceremony on Saturday was private, attended by top cardinals and people close to the pope. Video provided by the Vatican showed Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is running the Vatican in between papacies, blessing Francis’ coffin before it was interred.
The pope chose the basilica because of his devotion to the Salus Populi Romani icon of the Virgin Mary, which is located next to his tomb.
Starmer and Zelenskyy agree to keep positive momentum in Ukraine peace talks, Downing Street says
UK prime minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to work intensively to maintain the positive momentum in peace talks to end the war with Russia, Starmer’s office said on Saturday.
“They discussed positive progress made in recent days to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” a Downing Street spokesperson said in a statement after Starmer and Zelenskyy met in Rome, where world leaders gathered on Saturday for Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican.
The spokesperson added:
They agreed to maintain momentum and continue working intensively with international partners to drive forward the next stages of planning.
The Guardian picture desk have gathered a selection of the best photographs from Pope Francis’s funeral in St Peter’s Square and of the procession to Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica.
You can view the full gallery here:
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 1pm, local time (11am GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in the Italian capital.
What happens after the pope’s coffin arrives at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica?
After the procession fom Vatican City to the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis’s coffin was welcomed by “‘the last ones,’ a group of poor and marginalised people who always had a special place in Pope Francis’s heart”, writes the Vatican News. The group gave a final tribute before the coffin was carried to the altar.
While the burial will take place privately, Vatican News did provide some details in its reporting. It stated that Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, will mark Pope Francis’s coffin with his seal, along with those of the Prefecture of the Papal Household, the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, and the Liberian Chapter.
Vatican News add:
The remains of the Successor of Peter [Pope Francis] will be laid in the tomb and sprinkled with holy water.
After the Regina Cæli prayer, the notary of the Liberian Chapter will draw up the official act confirming the burial and will read it aloud to those present. The act will be signed by the samerlengo cardinal, the regent of the papal household, the master of papal liturgical celebrations, and finally the notary.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had separate meetings with French president Emmanuel Macron and UK prime minister Keir Starmer in Rome after they attended the funeral of Pope Francis, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X.
At least 400,000 people at Pope Francis’s funeral, says Italian interior minister
At least 400,000 people turned out for Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican and lined Rome’s streets, Italy’s interior minister has said. This is up from the 250,000 estimated earlier by the Vatican.
“We estimate not fewer than 400,000 people between those present in St Peter’s Square and those along the route,” Matteo Piantedosi told the TG5 news programme, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Pilgrims and the powerful come together for Pope Francis’s funeral
Angela Giuffrida
My colleague, Angela Giuffrida, is reporting from Vatican City and has this report:
Pope Francis has been eulogised as “a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone” during a funeral mass that brought together an array of mourners, from pilgrims and refugees to powerful world leaders and royals.
Francis, 88, died on Monday after a stroke and subsequent heart failure, setting into motion a series of centuries-old rituals and a huge, meticulously planned logistical and security operation not seen in Italy since the funeral of John Paul II in April 2005.
The crowd erupted into applause as the late pontiff’s wooden coffin was carried from the altar of the 16th-century St Peter’s Basilica, where it had laid in state for three days, by 14 white-gloved pallbearers and into the square for the open-air ceremony.
Applause also rang out when the Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who presided over the funeral mass, spoke of Francis’s care for immigrants, his constant pleas for peace, the need for negotiations to end wars and the importance of the climate.
Under a blue sky, more than 250,000 pilgrims descended on the Vatican, with the crowds stretching along Via della Conciliazione, the road connecting the Italian capital with the Vatican.
More than 2,000 journalists from around the world travelled to Rome to cover the event.
The 90-minute mass was celebrated by 220 cardinals, 750 bishops and more than 4,000 priests.
“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,” Battista Re said at the start of his eulogy.
Pope Francis’ tomb in Rome’s Basilica of St Mary Major has been constructed using stone from Liguria, the Italian region where his grandparents once lived.
The simple tomb bears just the inscription “Franciscus” and a replica of his pectoral cross.
Located near the Altar of St Francis, between the Pauline Chapel and the Sforza Chapel, the tomb reflects the pope’s wish to rest in a place connected to his family heritage.
Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, co-Archpriest of the Basilica, shared the details in a recent television interview.
Vatican News reported:
It is precisely in the small town of Cogorno that a plaque of slate – a fine-grained grey, green or bluish metamorphic rock – commemorates Bergoglio’s great-grandfather, Vincenzo Sivori. He travelled from Italy to Argentina in the 1800s. There, he raised his family, including his granddaughter Regina Maria Sivori: Pope Francis’ mother.
Pope Francis often kept his connection to Liguria private, so the mayor of the town, Enrica Sommariva, described her surprise when she heard that the pope had requested stone from his grandparents’ region for his tomb.
Angela Sivori, who still lives in Cogorno, recounted the moment in which she found out she was Pope Francis’ cousin. She described receiving a phone call from Buenos Aires, and a genealogy tree via email.
She and her daughter, Cristina, said the pope’s request regarding the stone for the tomb was a wonderful gift to the family, “one last surprise”, Cristina said.
Angela Giuffrida
As a priest, and then cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio would always call into Santa Maria Maggiore (Saint Mary Major), one of the four papal basilicas in Rome, during his regular visits to the Italian capital.
The fourth-century basilica with its distinctive bell tower is perched on one of Rome’s seven ancient hills in Esquilino, a neighbourhood that lies between the Colosseum and Termini train station, which during the Roman empire served as a burial ground for slaves.
On one visit, Bergoglio had a close shave with a suspected pickpocket.
But that did not sully his experience. Years later, in March 2013, on the morning after he became Pope Francis, a name chosen in honour of Francis of Assisi, the Italian saint who renounced a life of luxury to help the poor, he snuck out of the Vatican to go to pray at Santa Maria Maggiore.
Francis frequented the basilica, which is about two-and-a-half miles away from Vatican City, more than 100 times during his 12-year papacy, mostly to pray before and after trips overseas. On 23 March, the day he was discharged from hospital after a near-fatal bout of pneumonia, he stopped by to deliver flowers on his way back to the Vatican. His most recent visit was on 12 April.
