Given the presence of 130 delegations, 50 heads of state and government and a dozen kings, the ultimate mass goodbye to Pope Francis has been characterized by being an antibelic discourse. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, in charge of driving this Saturday the exequial liturgy, has cited some of the phrases that the Argentine pontiff used to pronounce and among them has highlighted one: “War is just death of peopledestruction of houses, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse than before, for all it is always a painful and tragic defeat. “
These words, pronounced before leaders around the world, become special importance in a moment of maximum international tension. To the armed conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, initiated in 2022 and 2023 respectively, the tariff war that the president of the United States, Donald Trump, has begun in his second term against dozens of countries has been added.
Precisely Trump has been one of the leaders who has followed the ceremony since the front row of authorities, a few meters from the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, with which is keeping bilateral encounters In Rome to try to weave negotiations and be able to move towards a peace process. In that first row the kings Felipe and Letizia and the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, among other personalities have also been located. In addition to these, some 250,000 anonymous people have come to the funeral.
The high priest, who died on Monday at age 88 because of a stroke, has been remembered for “not ceasing to raise his voice imploring peace” and by dedicate yourself to “the last of the earth” like the poor and the migrants. “Faced with the outbreak of so many wars in these years, with inhuman and innumerable horrors dead and destruction, Pope Francis has not ceased to raise his voice imploring peace and inviting wisdom, honest negotiation to find possible solutions,” said Giovanni Battista Re in a ceremony that has taken place in the Plaza de San Pedro.
The cardinal, dean of the Cardenalicio College, has highlighted in his homily that Jorge Mario Bergoglio was a pontiff “among the people”, “with the heart open to all.” “Established direct contact with peopleeager to be there for everyone, with marked attention to those who had difficulties, dedicating themselves to thinking about everything, even in the last inhabitants of the earth and in the marginalized. It was a Pope among the people, with an open heart to all, “added Re. At that point, he recalled another of the most famous phrases of his pontificate:” Build bridges and not walls. “
In that line, the manager of the homily also recalled the Pope’s idea that “the Church is a home for all; a house with doors that are always open”, as well as their attention in favor of refugees, displaced and poor. And in this regard, he has cited that it was significant that Your first trip to Lampedusa“Island that is a symbol of the tragedy of emigration with thousands of people drowning in the sea” or also traveling to the Greek island of Lesbos and the celebration of a mass at the border between Mexico and the United States, on the occasion of their trip to the first of these countries.
The cardinal has also recalled “Its 47 arduous apostolic trips”, Highlighting in particular the one that made Iraq in 2021, which “was a balm for the open wounds of the Iraqi population, which had suffered so much the inhuman work of the Islamic State.” Among the latter, the four nations of Asia-Oceania has reported in 2024, where “the most peripheral periphery of the world” came to the most peripheral periphery.
Re had begun his speech indicating that Francisco’s last image on Sunday of Resurrectionwhen “despite serious health problems, he wanted to impart his blessing from the balcony of the Basilica of San Pedro and then went down to this square to greet from the Papamóvil”: “It will remain in our eyes and in our hearts.” “Despite his fragility and final suffering, Pope Francis chose to follow this donation path until the last day of his earthly life,” he said.
The Cardinal also pointed out “his characteristic vocabulary and his language rich in images and metaphors” and his “great spontaneity and an informal way of addressing everyone, even to the people far from the Church.” “Your welcome and listening charismtogether with a way of acting of current sensitivity, he has touched hearts, seeking to awaken moral and spiritual energies, “he added.
The homily has ended remembering that Francisco used to finish his speeches and meetings saying: “Do not forget to pray for me”. “Dear Pope Francis, now we ask you to rule for us and that from heaven you bless the Church, bless Rome, bless the entire world, as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this basilica in a final hug with all the people of God, but ideally also with humanity that seeks the truth with sincere heart and has the torch of hope high,” he concluded.
About 150,000 people as the funeral courtship
After the funeral, Francisco’s body has been carried by a funeral procession crossing the center of Rome to the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor, where he decided to rest for being very devout of the Virgin Salus Populi Romani. Some 150,000 people have concentrated as the courtship, as reported by the Vatican press office. These have joined the 250,000 faithful of the Plaza de San Pedro.
The tens of thousands of people gathered through the streets in the Six kilometers of travel To see the coffin pass that had been placed in one of the papamobiles used during the international trips of the Pontiff. The coffin left after the funeral of the Watician walls at 12.30 pm through the Puerta del Perugino, which gives access to what throughout its more than twelve years was its pontifical residence, the Santa Marta house.
Then, he undertook his route along Vittorio Emanuele Avenue to reach the Plaza de Venice and toured the imperial forums to pass in front of the coliseum to which he used to go on Good Friday to preside over the Crucis via. After bordering the Flavio amphitheater, the vehicle towards its final destination. The Basilica of Santa María la Mayor was what before and after each apostolic trip, Francisco came to pray before his Virgin.
At the doors of the temple a group of poor and immigrants has welcomed the body with a rose in their hand. The last image for history It has been Francisco’s coffin before his beloved icon.
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