PICTORIAL: World Leaders, Thousands Bid Pope Francis Farewell

Over 250,000 mourners attended a ‘simplified’ funeral service for late Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, remembering the “people’s pope” for his humanity and humility.

Francis has now been laid to rest at Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore as he had requested.

Pope Francis was transferred from the Vatican to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in the popemobile Saturday morning, passing through the streets full of mourners. “No one had foreseen that,” according to Lamb.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re honoured the Pope’s ability to lead with “an open heart toward everyone” as he conducted the funeral service.

“It is significant that Pope Francis’ first journey was to Lampedusa (Italy), an island that symbolises the tragedy of emigration, with thousands of people drowning at sea,” Cardinal Battista Re said in the homily, also highlighting his “celebration of a Mass on the border between Mexico and the United States during his journey to Mexico.”

The pope’s funeral saw one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in recent years with 130 delegations, including presidents and reigning monarchs in attendance.

Argentine President Javier Milei, Britain’s Prince William, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, United States President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky were among the high-profile guests.

The US and Ukrainian leaders met minutes before the funeral began Saturday, speaking face-to-face on two chairs set up inside St. Peter’s Basilica.

A White House spokesman accompanying Trump said the two leaders “had a very productive discussion.”

A spokesman for Zelensky said the meeting lasted about 15 minutes, and the leaders agreed to continue talks.

The Ukrainian leader also held sideline meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Muslim Imam Beytullah Colak deeply admired Francis’ work with Muslim refugees and the promotion of interfaith dialogue, telling CNN, “We love him.”

Colak travelled from the United States to the Vatican to express gratitude for the pontiff’s work.

In Pope Francis’ birthplace of Buenos Aires, thousands of mourners gathered to honour one of their own.

A special mass is underway in the Argentine capital, where Francis who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 lived and served until he became the 266th pope in 2013.

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