Under brilliant sunshine, the funeral of Pope Francis was marked by huge crowds, as well as moments of complete silence across Vatican City and Rome that were broken only by the liturgy and spontaneous applause for a much-loved pontiff.
At least 50,000 people gathered in St Peter’s Square, with another 200,000 estimated to be outside. Hundreds of foreign dignitaries and world leaders attended the two-hour funeral Mass, with the UAE represented by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
It was a time for global tensions to be put aside and even temporary reconciliation, as the late Pope would have wished.
French President Emmanuel Macron shook hands with US President Donald Trump, after months of tension between Europe and America. On two metal chairs placed close together in a quiet hall, the US leader met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time since their dramatic bust-up in the Oval Office.
A massive security operation, including a no-fly zone over the Italian capital, rooftop snipers and anti-drone technology ensured the service passed without incident. But despite the presence of so many foreign leaders and the formal attire of the red-clad cardinals, the day really belonged to the ordinary members of the Catholic Church.
Many travelled from around the world, calling out their thanks for Pope Francis's life and work. Father Ricardo Camara travelled from Mexico to pay his respects. He said his congregation would forever remember the pontiff for his pursuit of social justice.
"He was a great shepherd. He fought a lot for justice, for the poor, for migrants, for an open church," Father Camara told The National.
Emil Anton, a theologian, woke up at 4am for the funeral. As a Finnish-Iraqi Catholic, he praised Pope Francis’s dedication to the Middle East. “Pope Francis was the first Pope to go to Iraq. This was one of the most important things of his papacy," Mr Anton said.
“His legacy in the Middle East was important, it includes an emphasis on interfaith dialogue, with the declaration of fraternity in the UAE and his meeting with the Ayatollah [Ali Al] Sistani in Iraq, after which a day dedicated to coexistence was declared. His visit in Iraq was a lot of joy and consolation after the hard years”.
Pointing to the huge crowd, Clement Iyam, 30, a Nigerian resident of Italy, said: “This is testimony of a life well-spent. He dedicated his papacy to the poor and the marginalised. We’re all happy to have been part of it.”
Pope Francis’s body had been placed in a simple wooden coffin in St Peter’s Square. Beside it was an icon representing the Virgin Mary and child that is believed to have been painted by St Luke the Evangelist in the first century. It normally hangs in the basilica of St Mary Major, where Pope Francis was buried at his request after the funeral mass.
A homily of the Pope’s life and achievements was read by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, dean of the College of Cardinals. He spoke of the visit of Pope Francis to the UAE in February 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," he said.
Prayers were recited in languages including Arabic, French, Portuguese and Italian. With the Mass concluded, there was a major departure from previous funerals that included an internment inside St Peter’s.
For the first time in more than 100 years, the body of a pope was taken outside the Vatican gates to the Papal Basilica of St Mary Major, in central Rome. In an adapted “popemobile”, the coffin was driven slowly through the streets of the city, passing landmarks that included the Colosseum.
Crowds lined the nearly 4km route, bursting into applause and cheers as the coffin passed.
Pope Francis was laid to rest at a ceremony attended by a small group that, at his request, included some of the poorest and most marginalised in society, including refugees and convicted prisoners.
Pope Francis chose the Basilica of St Mary Major for his devotion to the mother of Jesus, having said that “the Virgin Mary has told me to prepare my tomb”. He prayed in the church after returning from every overseas trip.
In total, Pope Francis is said to have made more than 100 visits to the basilica in his 12 years as pontiff. This was his last.
