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In this majestic Saint Peter’s Square, where Pope Francis celebrated the Eucharist so many  times and presided over great gatherings over the past twelve years, we are gathered with sad hearts  in prayer around his mortal remains. Yet, we are sustained by the certainty of faith, which assures  us that human existence does not end in the tomb, but in the Father’s house, in a life of happiness that  will know no end.

On behalf of the College of Cardinals, I cordially thank all of you for your presence. With  deep emotion, I extend respectful greetings and heartfelt thanks to the Heads of State, Heads of  Government and Official Delegations who have come from many countries to express their affection,  veneration and esteem for our late Holy Father.

The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days following his passing from  this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and  hearts. 

The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of last  Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite his serious health problems, wanted to give us  his blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica. He then came down to this Square to greet  the large crowd gathered for the Easter Mass while riding in the open-top Popemobile.

With our prayers, we now entrust the soul of our beloved Pontiff to God, that he may grant  him eternal happiness in the bright and glorious gaze of his immense love.

We are enlightened and guided by the passage of the Gospel, in which the very voice of Christ  resounded, asking the first of the Apostles: “Peter, do you love me more than these?” Peter’s answer  was prompt and sincere: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!” Jesus then entrusted  him with the great mission: “Feed my sheep.” This will be the constant task of Peter and his  successors, a service of love in the footsteps of Christ, our Master and Lord, who “came not to be  served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45).

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. He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good  Shepherd, who loved his sheep to the point of giving his life for them. And he did so with strength  and serenity, close to his flock, the Church of God, mindful of the words of Jesus quoted by the  Apostle Paul: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

When Cardinal Bergoglio was elected by the Conclave on 13 March 2013 to succeed Pope  Benedict XVI, he already had many years of experience in religious life in the Society of Jesus and,  above all, was enriched by twenty-one years of pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires,  first as Auxiliary, then as Coadjutor and, above all, as Archbishop.

The decision to take the name Francis immediately appeared to indicate the pastoral plan and  style on which he wanted to base his pontificate, seeking inspiration from the spirit of Saint Francis  of Assisi.

He maintained his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute  personality, immediately made his mark on the governance of the Church. He established direct  contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those  in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalised, the least among us. He  was a Pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone. He was also a Pope attentive  to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church.

With his characteristic vocabulary and language, rich in images and metaphors, he always  sought to shed light on the problems of our time with the wisdom of the Gospel. He did so by offering  a response guided by the light of faith and encouraging us to live as Christians amid the challenges  and contradictions in recent years, which he loved to describe as an “epochal change.” 

He had great spontaneity and an informal way of addressing everyone, even those far from  the Church.

Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared  the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalisation. He gave of himself by comforting  and encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people’s hearts in a direct and immediate  way.

His charisma of welcome and listening, combined with a manner of behaviour in keeping with  today’s sensitivities, touched hearts and sought to reawaken moral and spiritual sensibilities.

Evangelisation was the guiding principle of his pontificate. With a clear missionary vision,  he spread the joy of the Gospel, which was the title of his first Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii  gaudium. It is a joy that fills the hearts of all those who entrust themselves to God with confidence  and hope.

The guiding thread of his mission was also the conviction that the Church is a home for all, a  home with its doors always open. He often used the image of the Church as a “field hospital” after a  battle in which many were wounded; a Church determined to take care of the problems of people and  the great anxieties that tear the contemporary world apart; a Church capable of bending down to every  person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds. 

His gestures and exhortations in favour of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His  insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant.

It is significant that Pope Francis’ first journey was to Lampedusa, an island that symbolises  the tragedy of emigration, with thousands of people drowning at sea. In the same vein was his trip to Lesbos, together with the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens, as well as the  celebration of a Mass on the border between Mexico and the United States during his journey to  Mexico.

Of his 47 arduous Apostolic Journeys, the one to Iraq in 2021, defying every risk, will remain  particularly memorable. That difficult Apostolic Journey was a balm on the open wounds of the  Iraqi people, who had suffered so much from the inhuman actions of ISIS. It was also an important  trip for interreligious dialogue, another significant dimension of his pastoral work. With his 2024  Apostolic Journey to four countries in Asia-Oceania, the Pope reached “the most peripheral periphery  of the world.”

Pope Francis always placed the Gospel of mercy at the centre, repeatedly emphasising that  God never tires of forgiving us. He always forgives, whatever the situation might be of the person  who asks for forgiveness and returns to the right path. 

He called for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in order to highlight that mercy is “the heart  of the Gospel.”

Mercy and the joy of the Gospel are two key words for Pope Francis. In contrast to what he called “the culture of waste,” he spoke of the culture of encounter and  solidarity. The theme of fraternity ran through his entire pontificate with vibrant tones. In his  Encyclical Letter Fratelli tutti, he wanted to revive a worldwide aspiration to fraternity, because we  are all children of the same Father who is in heaven. He often forcefully reminded us that we all  belong to the same human family.

In 2019, during his trip to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis signed A Document on  Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, recalling the common fatherhood of God. Addressing men and women throughout the world, in his Encyclical Letter Laudato si’ he  drew attention to our duties and shared responsibility for our common home, stating, “No one is saved  alone.”

Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths  and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and  honest negotiation to find possible solutions. War, he said, results in the death of people and the  destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse than it was before:  it is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone. 

“Build bridges, not walls” was an exhortation he repeated many times, and his service of faith  as Successor of the Apostle Peter always was linked to the service of humanity in all its dimensions. Spiritually united with all of Christianity, we are here in large numbers to pray for Pope Francis, that  God may welcome him into the immensity of his love.

Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying, “Do not forget to pray  for me.”  

Dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. May you bless the Church, bless Rome,  and bless the whole world from heaven as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a  final embrace with all the people of God, but also embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere  heart and holds high the torch of hope. 

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The Rite was celebrated according to the prescriptions of the Ordo  Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, presided over by the Cardinal Camerlengo, in the presence of the persons indicated in the corresponding Notification from the Office of Liturgical Celebrations and family members of the deceased Pope. The rite concluded at 1:30 p.m.

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Added to that crowd are 150,000 people who gathered in the city’s streets to watch the Popemobile carrying Pope Francis’s coffin pass by. The Popemobile travelled 5.5 kilometers between the Vatican Basilica and its destination —  the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. The competent authorities estimate that approximately 150,000 people were present at the final farewell for Pope Francis.

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It was not a public event, but a liturgical act wrapped in intimacy. Presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo of Holy Roman Church, the ceremony followed the ancient Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis—the precise funeral order used only for Roman Pontiffs. The rite’s centerpiece was the reading of the “rogito,” a handwritten declaration detailing the life and papacy of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. This brief yet historic document, recounting his journey from Buenos Aires to the Chair of Peter, was folded and placed into the coffin alongside other sacred items, sealing not just the wooden casket, but a chapter of the Church itself.

The ritual ended quietly by 9:00 p.m., but the Basilica would not return to stillness. Throughout the night, members of the Chapter of St. Peter’s took turns in prayer and vigil at the foot of the Pontiff’s body, continuing the age-old tradition of guarding the Successor of Peter until his final Mass.

While this inner liturgy unfolded, it was the people—the ordinary faithful—who had written the prologue to this moment. Over the course of just three days, more than 250,000 pilgrims and mourners filed past the body of Pope Francis, lying in state before the main altar. From early Wednesday to late Friday, a river of humanity flowed through the marble columns of St. Peter’s, weaving together stories from every continent. Many came alone, some in groups, others with children in tow. They brought tears, prayers, silence, and, at times, even a gentle smile—recalling a Pope who was as likely to crack a joke as to call for global justice.

Among those present for the casket rite were members of the Pope’s family, including Mauro Bergoglio, his nephew who had arrived from Buenos Aires just hours earlier thanks to a private donation. Their quiet presence added a deeply human note to the solemn ecclesial ceremony: the world may have come to mourn a global figure, but in the end, Francis was also simply a brother, an uncle, a son.

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The General Congregation began with a moment of prayer, and then those who had not yet done so took the oath, according to the procedures established in the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.

During the Congregation, the reading of the Constitution continued, from chapters 27 to 32.

It was decided that on Sunday the Cardinals will visit the tomb of the Holy Father Francis together at Saint Mary Major. Their arrival is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. The Cardinals will cross the threshold of the Holy Door, visit Francis’s tomb, and then the Chapel where the image of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, is displayed. They will then celebrate Vespers together.

This was followed by interventions in the context of a shared reflection on the Church and the world.

Thirty-three Cardinals spoke.

At the conclusion of the Fourth General Congregation, Monsignor Diego Ravelli, Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations, spoke to illustrate the origin of the funeral rite. He reiterated the desire that it be the funeral of a Pastor, and not a Sovereign, in accordance with the liturgical decisions desired by the Holy Father Francis and approved by him in June 2024. The fourth Congregation ended at 12:20 p.m.

From Wednesday to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, April 25, some 150,000 people paid tribute to Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica. It was also announced that the rite of closing Pope Francis’s coffin will be a private ceremony, and there will be no television coverage.

Regarding protocol arrangements, it was indicated that all representatives of delegations will be seated on the right, facing the Basilica. In the first row are the Presidents of Argentina (the Pope’s native country) and Italy. They will be followed by reigning Sovereigns, and then Heads of State, in French alphabetical order of the States represented.

To date, 2,700 journalists have been accredited for the events of these days.

The Fifth General Congregation of Cardinals will meet on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m.

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Laika painted her new mural a few meters from St. Peter’s Square, on Via Piccolomini. It shows Pope Francis reading a list of people who will attend his funeral: Trump, Milei, Von der Leyen, Salvini, and Piantedosi. And in the graffiti, the late Pontiff asks: «But who invited these people?»

Everyone on the list seems to have a common denominator: the fight against immigration. A topic dear to the late Pope, who never hid his support for those who dedicate their lives to saving lives at sea. Francis began his pontificate with a trip to the Island of Lampedusa and concluded it with a trip to Marseille and Corsica, all three with a marked focus on immigration awareness.

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The Vatican Press Office confirmed the official seating and procedural arrangements for the funeral, a protocol steeped in both tradition and geopolitical nuance. The right side of the square, facing the Basilica, will be reserved for state delegations. Opposite them, on the left, will sit the College of Cardinals, robed in crimson.

In the very front row, as expected, are the presidents of Italy and Argentina—Sergio Mattarella and Javier Milei—representing the Pope’s adopted and native homelands. Their prominence reflects both protocol and sentiment: Argentina, cradle of Francis’ identity, and Italy, his final home.

Flanking them will be Europe’s Catholic royalty. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will be joined by Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, and the sovereign couple of Monaco, Prince Albert and Princess Charlène. The Bishop of Urgell, co-prince of Andorra, Joan Enric Vives, and the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Frey John T. Dunlap, will also join this noble procession, a rare meeting of altar and crown.

Just behind them sit the Protestant monarchs and secular heads of state. Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will be in attendance, along with Prince William of the United Kingdom, representing the British royal household in a moment of ecumenical respect.

Then comes the intricate dance of diplomacy. Presidents are seated according to the French alphabetical order of their countries—a seemingly neutral rule that often yields surprising proximity or distance. In an ironic twist of placement, Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron will sit in the same row, while Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine will be positioned further away, potentially thwarting any informal exchange with the American former president. Zelensky is reportedly returning to Kyiv immediately after the Mass, leaving little room for spontaneous diplomacy.

The Holy See has also reserved spots near the altar for those leaders with whom Francis shared a particularly close bond. These include Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Austria’s Alexander Van der Bellen, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon. Leaders from Cyprus, Albania, Angola, Ecuador, Cape Verde, and other nations round out this first-tier assembly.

A question still hovers over the precise role of Joe Biden, who reportedly confirmed his presence late Thursday, citing a personal connection with Francis. Vatican sources suggest he may not sit with the official U.S. delegation, likely placing him behind Trump.

Further back, ministers, ambassadors, and special envoys will fill the remaining diplomatic benches. Among them, Israel’s representative to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman, will occupy a place in the third row—symbolic of the often complex relationship between the Vatican and the Israeli state.

Security preparations around the event are staggering. Rome is under lockdown, with a destroyer deployed off its coast, Eurofighter jets on standby, and anti-drone systems positioned around the Vatican and along the funeral procession’s route. The unprecedented presence of so many heads of state, in a city already layered with historical and political volatility, has prompted one of the largest security operations.

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The proceedings began with a moment of prayer. During the Congregation, the Cardinals who had not yet taken the oath did so according to the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.

113 Cardinals were present. Thirty-four speeches were delivered during the session. The proceedings were interrupted from 10:40 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. and concluded at 12:00 noon.

During the meeting, a change was announced regarding the celebration of the sixth day of the Novendiali: the Holy Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, and not by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, as previously indicated. 

The names of the clergy responsible for offering the meditations were also defined, according to the Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis. The first meditation, scheduled for early next week, will be entrusted to Dom Donato Ogliari, O.S.B., Abbot of Saint Paul Outside-the-Walls.

The second meditation, which will open the Conclave, will be given by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M., Cap. 

The session also included the reading of the first chapters of  Universi Dominici Gregis.

Finally, with some interventions, a shared reflection on the Church and the world began. The next Congregation is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

It was also announced that the evening Rosary on Thursday the 24th at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major will be presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, while the Friday afternoon Rosary on the 25th  will be presided over by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. The Saturday Rosary, which will also be held outside the Basilica, will be presided over by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas. 

According to reports from the competent Authorities, more than 61,000 people attended St. Peter’s Basilica from 11:00 a.m. yesterday until 1:00 p.m. today to present their respects to Pope Francis.

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Mauro, a nurse from Buenos Aires and son of the late Oscar Bergoglio, one of Francis’ brothers, had long dreamed of meeting his uncle in Rome but never had the opportunity. When news broke of the Pope’s death, he voiced his deep desire to attend the funeral, but admitted that financial constraints made it impossible. Speaking on Argentine TV earlier in the week, Mauro had said frankly, “I’m trying to find a way to go. I want to go, but I can’t afford the trip.”

That vulnerable moment was all it took. Touched by his story, an Argentine businesswoman—whose name has not been publicly disclosed—offered to cover the full cost of his travel. Mauro accepted the help with gratitude and a dose of disbelief. “I never asked for anything,” he said in an interview from Rome with Radio Mitre. “They offered it to me, and I accepted because it was the only way I could say goodbye.”

Sobrino del Papa llega a Vaticano para su funeral

En el funeral del Papa Francisco sí habrá un familiar directo: su sobrino. Se llama Mauro. Logró trasladarse a Roma gracias a donativos. Y afortunadamente podrá estar con su tío. Me conmueve porque en los funerales de san… pic.twitter.com/cI6VTP1AxC

— P. Jorge Enrique Mújica, LC (@web_pastor) April 24, 2025

The story has resonated deeply in Argentina and beyond, not only because it highlights a poignant family bond in the midst of global mourning, but because it has stirred an uncomfortable contrast: Mauro, a member of the Pope’s own family, arrived in Rome not with an official delegation but through a stranger’s kindness. Meanwhile, the official Argentine delegation, led by President Javier Milei and composed of six government officials, includes no one from the Bergoglio family.

The optics of the delegation—absent any relatives of the late pontiff—have sparked a public conversation about respect, representation, and the often-strained relationship between Pope Francis and his homeland’s political establishment. For some observers, Mauro’s solitary and quietly funded journey has come to symbolize the personal humility that characterized his uncle’s life, in contrast to the pomp of official ceremonies.

As Mauro sets foot in Rome for the first time, it is under circumstances he never imagined. There are no photo ops or state receptions, only a nephew’s wish to stand near the remains of the uncle he admired from afar. He represents not only the Bergoglio family, but countless ordinary Argentines who saw in Pope Francis not just a spiritual leader, but one of their own.

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The burial is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a church deeply connected to Francis, who often prayed there before and after his apostolic journeys. According to sources within Italy’s Department of Penitentiary Administration (Dap), also discussions are underway to allow a selected group of prisoners to be present at the funeral mass, pending the approval of the supervising judicial authority.

This initiative was championed by Monsignor Benoni Ambarus—widely known as Don Ben—a figure beloved in Rome for his work with the poor and incarcerated. As head of the city’s outreach for charity and prison ministry, Don Ben reportedly referred to the inmates as the Pope’s “most beloved sons,” insisting that they be given the chance to say goodbye to a man who, even from the Vatican, reached into their lives with dignity and compassion.

The penitentiary administration has expressed its full support for the plan, contingent on security assessments and the authorization of the surveillance court. Should all requirements be met, the seven individuals will receive temporary “ad horas” permits—a rarely used provision that grants immediate, time-limited leave from detention for significant humanitarian reasons.

Some prisons are reportedly exploring the option of broadcasting the funeral in communal halls, allowing inmates across the country to pay their respects in a more intimate way.

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis made the incarcerated a central focus of his ministry. He washed prisoners’ feet during Holy Thursday liturgies, visited prisons and often reminded the world that redemption is never out of reach. He rejected the notion of defining individuals by their worst mistakes and instead saw them as wounded souls in need of mercy and accompaniment.

In allowing prisoners to join his final earthly journey, the Church is not only honoring Francis’ wishes but also embodying the very gospel he preached.

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