Our late dear Holy Father, Pope Francis’ body was greeted with warm applause from over 250,000 people and chirping of seagull birds as his coffin was carried into St. Peter’s Square for his solemn Requiem Mass on Saturday (26.04.25).\
The sun was warming up the cool morning, and a clear blue sky hovered over the funeral service – these natural elements and the warm crowd reflect well the social and ecological justice close to Pope Francis’ pastoral leadership.
Cardinal Soane Mafi and I arrived at St Peter’s Basilica around 8.00am while Pope Francis’ body was still in the Basilica. This was a wonderful opportunity for us to visit Pope Francis’ body since we both just arrived on Friday afternoon. Coincidentally, we were joined by Cardinal John Ribat from Papua New Guinea. So, this is the Oceania delegation’s visit to Pope Francis.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re presided over the solemn and moving funeral Mass, joined by some 250 Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, priests, and consecrated religious.
In his sermon, Cardinal Giovanni said that Pope Francis showed closeness to the people and spontaneity of his gestures until the very end, but most importantly, by his deep love for the Church which he wanted open to everyone.
Cardinal Giovanni remarked that “despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life”, in which he “followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd”.
“He was a Pope among the people”, with an open heart towards everyone, especially the marginalized, the least among us, but “also a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church.”
Cardinal Giovanni explained that evangelization remained central to the Pope’s vision, most notably expressed in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.
His image of the Church as a “field hospital” characterized a Church actively engaging with the world’s wounds. His outreach to migrants and refugees exemplified his solidarity with the suffering.
Cardinal Giovanni highlighted Pope Francis momentous contribution towards ‘Care for the Environment’, expressed in the Encyclical ‘Laudato si – Care for Our Common Home.
Cardinal Giovanni also spoke of Pope Francis wide moral leadership, stressing the interconnectedness of all creation and our shared responsibility for the planet.
The sermon was interjected by the crowd’s warm applause and the chirping of the seagulls.
Cardinal Giovanni’s homily closed on a tender note, invoking the familiar words with which Pope Francis always ended his audiences and meetings: “Do not forget to pray for me.”
As the applause rose from the attendees, Cardinal Giovanni said now, “As Pope Francis rests in God’s embrace; the faithful reverse that request, asking their beloved Pope to intercede for the Church, for Rome, and the whole world from heaven”.
After the solemn Requiem Mass, Pope Francis’ body made his final journey to papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major where his body will be entombed.
I was blessed to be with over 150,000 people who lined the streets to bid a final farewell as Pope Francis’s coffin was carried in an open popemobile during a historic procession from St Peter’s Basilica to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
Upon arrival at Saint Mary Major’s Basilica, the pope’s coffin was welcomed by a group of poor and homeless people; symbolizing those whom he prioritized throughout his life and ministry.
The Basilica of Saint Mary Major, constructed in 435, has long housed the beloved Maria Salus Populi Romani, an ancient Byzantine icon of Mary and the Child Jesus, traditionally believed to have been painted by St Luke and brought to Rome in the 6th century.
Pope Francis wanted his tomb to be placed in Saint Mary Major’s Basilica because it will reflect his closeness to people – like Jesus in the Gospel of John who ministers to people through water and blood that flowed from his pierced side, Pope Francis too in his death remains close to people.
