Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday at his favourite basilica in Rome, following a funeral ceremony at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
A funeral Mass was held outdoors on Saturday morning, with heads of state, including US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, slated to attend.
Thousands of mourners, many of whom travelled from across the world to attend, began to gather in the public square as early as 5 am, well in advance of the public Mass five hours later.
As many as 400,000 people were in attendance, according to authorities.
The late pontiff was buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, or Saint Mary Major, one of the four papal basilicas in the Italian capital.
Pope Francis revised and simplified the Vatican’s rites ahead of the funeral, which will see presidents and royals attend while convicts and migrants usher him to his final resting place.
The pope hoped the ceremony would reflect the priorities of his papacy, where he aimed to emphasise his role as a mere priest rather than a powerful religious leader.
Leave a comment