At Pope Francis’s funeral, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re called on world leaders and mourners to “build bridges, not walls”, reflecting the late pontiff’s advocacy for migrants, peace, and climate action, reports RTE.
Leading the Requiem Mass in St Peter’s Square, the 91-year-old cardinal shared a message that was both pastoral and political.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian”, he told those gathered, repeating Francis’s 2016 criticism of US President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, reports RTE.
Mr Trump, who had previously clashed with the Pope over the issue of compassion towards migrants, was seated just a short distance from the altar.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had been uncertain about attending, appeared to be warmly received as he exited St Peter’s Basilica, with world leaders applauding as he descended the steps into St Peter’s Square, reports RTE.
Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, is remembered for his leadership within the Church, his popularity among the youth, and his dedication to reaching out to society’s most vulnerable.
As the ceremony commenced, silence fell over the thousands of mourners and dignitaries as a simple wooden coffin adorned with a large cross was carried into view by twelve pallbearers, reports RTE.
Recalling the Pope’s final public appearance on Easter Sunday, Cardinal Re shared with the crowd: “Despite his serious health problems, he wanted to give us his blessings from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica, then came down to greet us from his open Popemobile as a large crowd gathered for the Easter Mass.”
Delivering his homily in Italian, he emphasised the late Pope’s lifelong commitment to peace, reports RTE.
“War always leaves the world worse than it was before: it is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone,” he said.
Cardinal Re also commended Francis’s “charisma of welcome and listening” and his focus on illuminating “the problems of our time with the wisdom of the gospel”, reports RTE.
As the service concluded, applause filled the square as the Pope’s coffin was carried back inside St Peter’s Basilica – marking the first time in over a century a pope would not be interred there.
Instead, his chosen resting place is the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, a fifth-century church in central Rome, already the burial site for seven previous popes, reports RTE.
One of the earliest dignitaries to arrive for the Mass was former US President Joe Biden, who appeared alongside his wife Jill, stepping onto the cobbled square amid tight security and cheering crowds.
Ireland’s official delegation was led by President Michael D Higgins, joined by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris, reports RTE.
Mr Harris described attending the funeral as “an honour and a privilege”, saying they were there to pay tribute to “a remarkable spiritual leader who left an indelible mark on our world”.
“The sadness we have all felt at his passing has been eased somewhat by the widespread celebration of his life and his achievements that we have witnessed since his death,” reports RTE.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were among the mourners, along with Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney and Michelle O’Neill, the First Minister of Northern Ireland.
The Vatican confirmed that 250,000 people attended the funeral, reports RTE.
Crowds began assembling in the surrounding streets as early as 5am, with nuns, priests, and laypeople making their way towards St Peter’s Square.
Italian police closed nearby roads and maintained a heavy security presence to manage the large numbers hoping to get near the square.
During the three-day lying-in-state, around 250,000 mourners paid their respects to Pope Francis, with St Peter’s Basilica remaining open overnight on Wednesday to accommodate the crowds, reports RTE.
The final mourners had a last opportunity to view the Pope before his coffin was closed in a private ceremony yesterday evening.
Prince William travelled to the Vatican to represent King Charles, marking his first attendance at an international funeral, reports RTE.
Although today marks the beginning of nine official days of mourning, attention is already turning to who might succeed Pope Francis.
The secretive conclave, where cardinals will gather to elect a new pope, is expected to start on 5 May, reports RTE.
One Vatican analyst has said it remains “totally unpredictable” who will be chosen as the next pope.
UK theologian Professor Anna Rowlands said: “That’s partly because the process is genuinely both secret, so it happens in private, but also because the make-up of this College of Cardinals is very different from anyone that’s been here to elect a pope before. It’s going to be, I think, a surprise conclave, that is totally unpredictable at this point, but I think will produce, potentially, a really interesting candidate who possibly none of us will know,” she added, reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
