A week ago today, Pope Francis’s appearance in St. Peter’s Square led many to believe that his health might be stabilizing or even improving.
However, within hours, the world learned that his efforts in greeting pilgrims from around the globe on Easter Sunday during a Jubilee Year would be among his final actions.
In the past week, Rome bid farewell to its pope and bishop through a lying-in-state and a funeral that, though more modest than previous papal funerals, was still a significant international event.
This occasion provided world leaders like US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky an opportunity for one-on-one discussions in challenging times, which may emerge as an unexpected legacy of Francis’s papacy.
The homily delivered by Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, urged the world to continue Pope Francis’s mission of caring for the marginalized.
The pope consistently aimed to “build bridges, not walls,” a message that resonates even more today amidst numerous global conflicts and crises.
For yet another day, tens of thousands gathered in the streets surrounding the Vatican to participate in the funeral.
Crowds continued to flow through St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects in front of the pope’s coffin.
Though Vatican officials expected large numbers, the decision to extend public access hours to St. Peter’s Basilica indicates they were surprised by the volume of people wishing to say their goodbyes.
This event weaves through both Vatican City and the city of Rome, a centuries-old rite that affects many in the Italian capital.
This has been especially evident this week, as the pope’s decision to be buried in central Rome, rather than in the Vatican, led to long lines forming outside the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore even before Pope Francis was interred there.
Crowds began visiting Pope Francis’s tomb this morning.
As the first pope to be buried outside St. Peter’s in over a century, Francis’s tomb is now expected to become another pilgrimage site in Rome.
The impact of this will be immediate.
However, any diplomatic outcomes stemming from the papal funeral may take longer to become apparent.
Read more: The significance of Francis’s final resting place | Pope’s funeral hears call to ‘build bridges, not walls’ | In pictures: Mourners bid farewell to the ‘people’s Pope’
