Over a quarter of a million people from all walks of life gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday to bid a final farewell to Pope Francis during his Requiem Mass.
The solemn liturgy was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, joined by around 250 Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, priests, consecrated religious, and lay faithful.
Pope Francis is the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican, with his entombment carried out in a private ceremony, allowing those closest to him an intimate moment to pay their respects.
His mortal remains were transported aboard the popemobile through the streets of Rome to their final resting place at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where the procession paused for a final salute to the ancient icon of Mary, Salus Populi Romani.
In his homily, Cardinal Re reflected on the highlights of Pope Francis’ remarkable and intense twelve years of Petrine ministry.
He spoke of the Pope’s distinctive style of closeness to the people, his spontaneity, and, above all, his deep love for the Church.
Cardinal Re thanked all those present and extended greetings to the numerous religious leaders, heads of state, heads of government, and official delegations from across the world. The immense outpouring of affection witnessed throughout the week, he noted, is a testament to how profoundly Pope Francis’ pontificate “touched the minds and hearts” of people both within and beyond the Church.
Referencing the Gospel passage where Christ entrusts Peter with shepherding His flock, Cardinal Re remarked, “Despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until his last day on earth, faithfully walking in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd.”
He recalled the Pope’s final public appearance on Easter Sunday: “The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite serious health challenges, insisted on blessing the faithful from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. He then came down to the Square, greeting the large crowd from the open-top popemobile.”
Cardinal Re also reflected on the significance of the name “Francis,” chosen by the Pope at the outset of his pontificate, which immediately signaled the pastoral spirit and vision he wished to embody, drawing inspiration from Saint Francis of Assisi.
Through his temperament and leadership, Cardinal Re said, Pope Francis left an indelible mark on the governance of the Church. “He was a Pope among the people,” he said, “with an open heart towards everyone, especially the marginalized and the forgotten, and attentive to the signs of the times and the stirrings of the Holy Spirit in the Church.”
With his characteristic language, Pope Francis consistently shed light on the complex challenges of our era, which he famously described as an “epochal change,” encouraging Christians to live their faith boldly in the face of contradictions.
Evangelization remained at the heart of his mission, most notably expressed in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. His image of the Church as a “field hospital” reflected a vision of a Church intimately engaged with the wounds of the world.
Cardinal Re highlighted Pope Francis’ unwavering commitment to migrants and refugees, seen vividly in his visits to Lampedusa, Lesbos, and the US-Mexico border symbolic gestures of solidarity with the suffering. “His gestures and exhortations on behalf of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His insistence on working for the poor was constant,” he said.
Of his 47 Apostolic Journeys, Cardinal Re pointed to the Pope’s visit to Iraq as particularly poignant, calling it a “pastoral balm” and a profound call for interreligious dialogue.
Pope Francis’ travels often brought him to the world’s most wounded and remote regions, culminating in his 2024 visit to the Asia-Oceania region, extending the Church’s outreach to the farthest peripheries.
Cardinal Re further emphasized Pope Francis’ relentless focus on mercy centered on the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016 and his advocacy for a “culture of encounter” against the backdrop of a prevailing “throwaway culture.”
His call for human fraternity, articulated in his encyclical Fratelli tutti and the 2019 Abu Dhabi Declaration on Human Fraternity, was a profound appeal for global solidarity and peace, reflecting the heart of his vision for the Church and the world.
