ROME (CNS) -- The casket bearing the body of Pope Francis made its final journey through the streets of Rome accompanied by applause and shouts of gratitude from thousands of mourners.

After the funeral Mass April 26, pallbearers carried Pope Francis' coffin through St. Peter's Basilica, stopping briefly at the steps leading to St. Peter's tomb before placing it on a retrofitted popemobile parked outside.

Hundreds awaited outside and applauded as the vehicle, accompanied by four police officers on motorbikes, left the grounds of Vatican City for the last time.

According to the Vatican and Italian police, some 150,000 people watched the pope's casket pass by. 

Along the wide boulevard in front of Torre Argentina, where Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 A.D., tourists and bystanders packed the streets, some teetering on top of the stone walls around the ancient site. Residents were leaning out of their upper-story apartment windows, everyone camera-ready. When the motorcade passed, people clapped and cheered, some shouting "Grazie, Papa Francesco" ("Thank you, Pope Francis) and "Viva il papa." ("Long live the pope").

The cortegé bearing the first Jesuit pope passed by the Gesu Church, the mother church of the Society of Jesus in Rome's historic center, where the body of the order's founder, St. Ignatius of Loyola, is buried.

Among the tens of thousands of people hoping to catch a glimpse of the papal casket outside Rome's famed Colosseum was a group of 50 young people from the Diocese of Verona who were in Rome for the Jubilee of Adolescents.

For 23-year-old Samuele Simoni, the death of Pope Francis, which happened while the group made their way to Rome for the Jubilee pilgrimage, was "unimaginable."

Speaking to Catholic News Service, Simoni said bidding the pope farewell along the route to his tomb was a way for the group to witness "the strength of the church in such an important time of mourning."

Pope Francis was "an important and influential figure" in the lives of young people, and to join others in bidding farewell to the pontiff was "definitely a time in which they could also fully experience a bit of the Jubilee," he said.

"People often think of the Jubilee as seeing the pope in a different way. Yet, it is certainly an emotional moment of prayer that is both strong and beautiful," Simoni told CNS. "For them, it will truly remain an indelible memory in their hearts." 

When the casket arrived at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major, pallbearers carried it in a solemn procession down the central nave.

Among the cardinals present for the burial were: Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals; Roger M. Mahony, retired archbishop of Los Angeles, and ranking member of the order of cardinal priests; Dominique Mamberti, former prefect of the Apostolic Signature and ranking member of the order of cardinal deacons; Stanisław Ryłko, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major; Rolandas Makrickas, coadjutor archpriest of the basilica; Pietro Parolin, secretary of state under Pope Francis; Baldassare Reina, papal vicar of Rome; and Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner.

Before reaching the pope's final resting place, the pallbearers stopped in front of the chapel where Pope Francis often laid flowers and prayed before the icon of Mary. This time, two boys and two girls carried baskets of white flowers and set them before the altar under the Marian icon.

The pallbearers then made their way to Pope Francis' tomb, where Cardinal Farrell presided over the burial rite. Earlier in the week, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists that the actual burial would not be broadcast live.

In a statement released April 24, the Vatican press office said "a group of the poor and needy will be present on the steps" leading to the papal basilica to welcome his casket.

Corriere della Sera also reported that five prisoners from Rome's Rebibbia prison were given special permission to be present at the basilica and attend the pope's burial.

The pope had a special affection for prisoners, celebrating Holy Thursday Mass almost every year at a prison or jail. On April 17, just four days before his death, Pope Francis visited Rome's Regina Coeli jail.

According to Avvenire, the newspaper of the Italian bishops' conference, Auxiliary Bishop Benoni Ambarus of Rome, who was charged with prison pastoral care for the diocese, revealed the late pope had recently made a personal donation of 200,000 euros ($228,100) to a pasta factory run by the prisoners of Rome's Casal del Marmo prison.

Saying the prisoners felt orphaned after the pope's death, Bishop Ambarus said he was "working so that (the pope's) favorite children can be at the funeral. We will see what we can do." 

The Basilica of St. Mary Major was dear to Pope Francis throughout his pontificate as he would often go to pray before the icon "Salus Populi Romani" ("Health -- or salvation -- of the Roman people"), especially before and after his papal trips.

At a briefing with journalists outside the basilica April 26, Cardinal Makrickas said the pope, who was initially reluctant to be buried outside of St. Peter's Basilica, told him in May 2022 that the "Virgin Mary told me, 'Prepare the tomb.'"

The Vatican previewed an image of the tomb, which was created with marble from the northern Italian region of Liguria, the land of the late pope's grandparents, and inscribed with the Latin version of his name: Franciscus. It also featured a large reproduction of his pectoral cross.

In his final testament, which was published by the Vatican shortly after his death April 21, the pope expressed his wish to be buried at the basilica dedicated to Mary to whom he had entrusted his "priestly and episcopal life and ministry."

The pope further explained his reasons in his autobiography, "Hope," which was published in January. In it, he said he would not be buried in Saint Peter's Basilica because "the Vatican is the home of my last service, not my eternal home."

"I will go in the room where they now keep the candelabra close to the Regina della Pace (Queen of Peace) from whom I have always sought help, and whose embrace I have felt more than a hundred times during the course of my papacy," he wrote.

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Contributing to this story were Carol Glatz and Justin McLellan in Rome.
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis was "a pope among the people, with an open heart toward everyone," said Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, as he presided over the funeral of the pope, who died April 21 at the age of 88.

And the people -- an estimated 200,000 of them -- were present as 14 pallbearers carried Pope Francis' casket into St. Peter's Square and set it on a carpet in front of the altar for the funeral Mass April 26.

His burial was scheduled for later the same day in Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major after being driven in a motorcade through the center of the city where he served as bishop from the day of his election to the papacy March 13, 2013. 

Security around the Vatican was tight, not only because of the number of mourners expected but especially because of the presence of kings, queens, presidents -- including U.S. President Donald J. Trump -- and prime ministers from more than 80 countries and official representatives from scores of other nations.

Also present were the residents of a Vatican palace Pope Francis had turned into a shelter for the homeless and the 12 Syrian refugees he brought to Rome with him from a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos in 2016.

The Gospel reading at the funeral was John 21:15-19 where the Risen Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" And when Peter says yes, Jesus tells him, "Feed my sheep."

"Despite his frailty and suffering toward the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life," Cardinal Re said in his homily. "He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd, who loved his sheep to the point of giving his life for them."

The 91-year-old cardinal told the crowd that the image of Pope Francis that "will remain etched in our memory" was his appearance on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica the day before he died to give his Easter blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) and then to ride in the popemobile among the people who had come to celebrate Christ's victory over death.

"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," Cardinal Re said. The Vatican estimated that 250,000 people -- many of whom waited in line for three or four hours -- filed past the late pope's body in St. Peter's Basilica April 23-25. 

Within the church, the cardinal said, "the guiding thread" of Pope Francis' ministry was his "conviction that the church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open."

For Pope Francis, he said, the church was a "field hospital," one "capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds."

With President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olga Lyubimova, Russian minister of culture, seated near the altar, Cardinal Re said that "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."

'"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," the cardinal said.

Cardinal Re also recalled Pope Francis' constant concern for migrants and refugees from his first papal trip outside of Rome to pray for migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, his visit to Lesbos and his celebration of Mass in 2016 on the U.S.-Mexican border. 

At the end of the Mass, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, papal vicar of Rome, offered special prayers for the city's deceased bishop, Pope Francis. Then Eastern Catholic patriarchs and major archbishops gathered around the casket and led funeral prayers from the Byzantine tradition in honor of the pastor of the universal Catholic Church.

Sister Norma Pimentel, a Missionary of Jesus and director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, had knelt in prayer before the body of Pope Francis April 25 and was present for the funeral. 

"The funeral of Pope Francis is a very important part of who we are as people of faith," she told Catholic News Service. "We walk together, we cry together, we work together ... doing what we believe is important in our lives as people of faith, and we say farewell together at the end."

The funeral, she said, is a time "to join him in this last farewell and say thank you: Thank you for being you, for being there with us, and we'll see you."

Sister Pimentel is known especially for her work with migrants and refugees, a ministry close to the heart of Pope Francis.

"He was all about making sure that we understood the importance" of welcoming newcomers, she said. His message was: "Please open your hearts. Please care for them. That's all they're asking."

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, also prayed alongside the pope's body April 25 as it lay in state in St. Peter's Basilica. "It was an important moment of confirming the news that I had heard but did not want to believe" -- that the pope had died.

Pope Francis "had played such an important role in my life as a mentor, as a teacher," the cardinal said. "It was really a 20-year friendship."

"We have many reasons to grieve, but we have every reason to hope," said the cardinal, who concelebrated the funeral Mass and would be among the cardinals voting to elect a new pope.

Cardinal Tobin said he thought Pope Francis' lasting legacy would be the call to be "a synodal church," one where every person takes responsibility for the church's mission and where all members listen to one another and to the Holy Spirit.

"That kind of church is really necessary to bring to fruition all of his other prophetic teachings," the cardinal said.

"Without a synodal church," he said, it will be difficult to put into practice Pope Francis' teaching on the environment, on dialogue and human fraternity and even on sharing the joy of the Gospel.
 

World says goodbye to Pope Francis

Pope Francis' coffin was sealed April 25, and early the next morning it was moved to Saint Peter’s Square for the final farewell — his funeral — attended by world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, and by vast crowds of faithful.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When Pope Francis was elected as the first Latin American pontiff, he said his brother cardinals went out of their way to pick someone from the "ends of the earth."

He spent the rest of his pontificate going back out to those peripheries, traveling to more than 65 nations, preferring those that were poor, scarred by war, marginalized and forgotten. Then the peripheries came to him on the day of his funeral in St. Peter's Square.

More than 160 nations sent delegations April 26, headed by kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, government officials and ambassadors.

Several nations were geographically far-flung like the South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

Many were nations on the fringes of the world's attention, but where the pope never visited like Albania, Iceland, El Salvador, Angola, Gabon, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Togo, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Qatar, Oman and Vietnam. 

All the countries the pope visited in his 12-year pontificate were represented except Kazakhstan and South Korea, according to the list of confirmed delegations the Vatican press office released late April 25. 

The nations on the peripheries the pope visited that came to Rome to return the honor included: Timor-Leste, Cuba, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Congo, South Sudan, Kenya, Mozambique, Morocco, Mongolia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, the Philippines, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Palestine and many others.

But of course, political elites and nations at the center of power were present, too: U.S. President Donald J. Trump and his wife Melania, French President Emmanuel Macron, Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, English Prime Minster Keir Starmer, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Britain's Prince William and Mary Simon, the governor-general of Canada.

Delegations also were present from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Sudan. However, Taiwan, not mainland China, was represented by Chen Chien-jen who served as vice president and premier of Taiwan. Only a dozen countries, including Vatican City State, officially recognize Taiwan as an independent sovereign state while China maintains its claim over the island.

Vatican protocol for a papal funeral places cardinals, bishops and ecumenical delegates to the left of the casket and heads of state to the right. 

Of the nearly 40 ecumenical delegates, there were Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople; Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, head of external church relations for the Moscow Patriarchate; Catholicos Karekin II, the patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church; as well as representatives of the Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist and Evangelical communities.

Protocol also determines the seating arrangements within the VIP section for political leaders. The large delegations from Italy and Argentina, the pope's home country, were in the front row, followed by royalty, then international leaders in order of political hierarchy and in alphabetical order of their country's name in French.

That meant U.S. President Trump was nowhere near Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Representing "États-Unis," Trump was invited to sit near Estonia, Finland and France. 

However, world leaders had a chance to pray at the pope's closed casket in the basilica before the funeral started. Zelenskyy and Trump sat down briefly for a "very productive" talk, according to the White House. Zelenskyy said on Telegram it was a "good meeting. One-on-one, we managed to discuss a lot. We hope for a result from all the things that were said."

The "very symbolic meeting," he said, "has the potential to become historic if we achieve joint results. Thank you, President Donald Trump!" A photo of Zelenskyy, Trump, Macron and Starmer meeting and speaking together in the basilica was also published on social media.

Nonetheless, the complex seating arrangements for the funeral meant many traditional enemies and nations at war were not seated near each other.

For example, Zelenskyy, who is a head of state, was seated ahead of Russia's representative, Olga Lyubimova, who is the minister of culture.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa was also seated far from Israel's ambassador to the Vatican, Yaron Sideman, who attended even though official representatives of Israel are normally prohibited from participating in formal activities on the Jewish Sabbath.

"In this case, an exception was granted because of its importance," Sideman told Ansa, the Italian wire service, April 24. "Israel attaches great importance to expressing its condolences and joining the Catholic world in mourning the passing of the pontiff." 

Even though alphabetically close, Armenia and Azerbaijan, who are locked in an ethnic and territorial conflict over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, were seated far apart since Armenia sent its president and Azerbaijan sent the speaker of its national assembly.

Because he is not an active head of state, former U.S. President Joe Biden, a Catholic, was seated in a separate VIP section and not near Trump, who has repeatedly vilified him publicly.

In another section, numerous representatives of other religions were present such as Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Muslims and Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, the chief rabbi of Rome.

The presence of so many world leaders at Pope Francis' funeral and their praise and accolades after his death April 21 sparked accusations of hypocrisy, especially in Italy, where the government has taken a hard line against immigration.

Achille Occhetto, an Italian politician, said, "Now that Francis is dead, all the floggers of migrants, champions against welcoming, in short, all shades of bullies and authoritarians in the world, pretend to bow to him."

Cardinal Domenico Battaglia of Naples told the Italian daily, La Repubblica, April 26, "There is a risk of beatifying him in words, only to forget him in deeds."

Pope Francis "spoke plainly" without mincing words as all prophets do, he said. The cardinal compared the situation to King Herod and John the Baptist. Herod "welcomed him, listened to him and then did the opposite of what John preached."

The pope's funeral provided a rare opportunity for enemies and friends to come together as one and be reminded of his invitation to "build bridges and not walls." But he also warned that the world needed action and not words.

The statue of Our Lady, Queen of Peace in the Basilica of St. Mary Major. / Credit: Jonah McKeown/CNA

CNA Staff, Apr 26, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Pope Francis, who died April 21, will be buried today in Rome, with a funeral Mass presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.

In accordance with his personal wishes, Francis will not be buried in the Vatican grottoes — as many popes throughout the centuries have been — but instead at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

With roots stretching back to the fifth century, St. Mary Major (called Santa Maria Maggiore in Italian and sometimes referred to as Our Lady of the Snows) is one of the most famous Catholic churches in the world and one of the four “major basilicas” located in and around Rome. 

Pope Francis made more than 100 visits to the basilica since becoming pope, most notably to venerate the icon known as the “Salus Populi Romani” — “Mary, Protection of the Roman People” — before and after every international trip.

As Pope Francis is laid to rest there, let’s take a look at the tombs of the seven popes who are currently buried at this church, one of whom is a saint. (Information on each pope comes from the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia unless otherwise noted.)

Pope Honorius III (1150–1227)

Born Cencio Savelli, Honorius III was the first pope to be buried here after his death in the 13th century. He served as part of a chapter of priests who helped to administer St. Mary Major before becoming pope and held other important positions before his election. 

Honorius III is perhaps most notable for having confirmed St. Francis’ second “rule” — a plan of life and discipline — for the saint’s then-new religious order. Innocent III had first approved a simple rule for the new order in 1209, but the “second rule,” approved by Honorius in 1223, is the one that Franciscans still profess today.

Pope Nicholas IV (1227–1292)

Girolamo Masci was elected pope in 1288, the first Franciscan to hold the office. As pope, he sent missionaries to Bulgaria, Ethiopia, China, and the Tartar people of Central Asia. He built the palace next to St. Mary Major, the church that was to become his final resting place. 

In 1292, Nicholas IV commissioned the first known Nativity scene figurines, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, the creator of the first living Nativity in Greccio, Italy, in 1223. 

St. Pius V (1504-1572)

The only saintly pope to be buried here — though not the only saint — Pius V was born Michele Ghislieri in 1504 to poor parents of noble lineage. He was a Dominican known for his austere penances and long hours of prayer and fasting. He was elected pope on Jan. 7, 1566, with the influential backing of his friend St. Charles Borromeo. 

His pontificate was dedicated to applying the reforms of the Council of Trent, which took place from 1545–63 in response to the Protestant Reformation. As pope he set about raising the standard of morality of the Catholic clergy and strongly supported foreign missions. The Catechism of the Council of Trent was completed during his reign.

Ironically, Pius V promulgated a new Roman Missal in 1570 that is still used today as part of the Tridentine Mass, also known as the Traditional Latin Mass — the celebration of which Pope Francis has moved to curtail throughout his papacy in favor of Pope Paul VI’s 1970 missal. 

A devotee to Mary, Pius V established the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which is celebrated each year on Oct. 7. 

Pope Sixtus V (1521–1590)

Few popes had as much of an effect on the city of Rome itself as Felice Peretti, Pope Sixtus V. In addition to reforming the Church’s finances, he made far-reaching changes to the Church’s governing structure. He is perhaps best known for his massive public works projects throughout Rome, including the building of magnificent streets and the moving of a massive obelisk into the center of St. Peter’s Square. He also built the Chapel of the Cradle, which is said to contain relics of Jesus’ manger, at St. Mary Major.

Pope Clement VIII (1536–1605)

Ippolito Aldobrandini was elected pope in 1592. St. Philip Neri was reportedly his confessor for 30 years. 

Known for his reforms amid major contemporary geopolitical problems, Clement VIII also issued revised editions of the Latin Vulgate Bible in 1598 as well as new editions of the Church’s breviary and missal.

Pope Paul V (1550–1621)

Though born in Rome, Camillo Borghese may have been a relative of St. Catherine of Siena. A renowned canon lawyer, in 1596 he was made cardinal by the aforementioned Clement VIII and became cardinal vicar of Rome. He was elected to the papacy in 1605.

A “very stern and uncompromising” figure who was reportedly not immune to the then-widespread practice of nepotism, Paul V oversaw serious church-state disputes during his papacy, at one point even excommunicating almost the entire government of the city-state of Venice. He condemned the oath of allegiance that James I of England — who famously survived the Catholic-led “gunpowder plot” — demanded of his subjects because it contained clauses no Catholic in good conscience could affirm.

Paul is perhaps best remembered for canonizing St. Charles Borromeo and St. Frances of Rome and beatifying Sts. Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Philip Neri, Theresa the Carmelite, Louis Bertrand, Thomas of Villanova, and Isidore of Madrid. He’s also remembered for putting the finishing touches on St. Peter’s Basilica, which had been under construction for a century, and enriching the Vatican Library.

He is buried in the same chapel as his predecessor, Clement VIII.

Pope Clement IX (1600–1669)

Clement IX, born Giulio Rospigliosi, is the most recent pope to be buried at St. Mary Major, having been laid to rest there more than 350 years ago. Clement requested that he be buried at St. Mary Major with merely a simple inscription, but his successor erected a large statue and monument to him inside the church. 

After his election as pope, Clement reportedly manned a confessional at St. Peter’s Basilica two days a week and heard anyone who wished to confess to him. He frequently visited hospitals, was lavish in his alms to the poor, and resisted the then-widespread practice of nepotism. 

He is perhaps most notable for declaring St. Rose of Lima “blessed” in 1668, and she would go on to become the first saint from the Americas.

This article was first published Dec. 14, 2023, and has been updated.

Cardinal Christophe Pierre speaks to EWTN News President and COO Montse Alvarado in Rome on Friday, April 25, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News

CNA Staff, Apr 25, 2025 / 19:36 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis asked us “to be a Church which announces the good news of Christ,” Cardinal Christophe Pierre said on Friday, one of the many fruits of the Holy Spirit’s having selected the late Argentine prelate to be the supreme pontiff.

Pierre, who has served as apostolic nuncio in various countries over several decades and who has served as nuncio to the United States under Francis, told EWTN News President and COO Montse Alvarado that as he sees it, Francis’ election in 2013 was the fruit of a process that arose out of the 2007 Aparecida conference of Latin American and Caribbean bishops in Brazil. 

Then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio headed up the committee that produced the conference’s final document. The bishops at that conference were “inspired [and] helped” by the future pope, Pierre said. 

“Then, six years later, Pope Francis was elected pope,” Pierre said, describing the selection as providential. “The Holy Spirit chose him so that he could be an instrument of Christ in today’s world,” the cardinal said. 

He further pointed to Francis’ regular contention — articulated first in his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium — that “realities are more important than ideas.”

“Today in the world, we are all tempted to transform reality into ideas,” Pierre told Alvarado. “And when you transform reality, it’s in abstractions. And ideas become ideology, and they become instruments of power, of war, of dispute between ourselves. And it is impossible to achieve peace as Christ asks us to do.”

“Even in the Church, at times we are tempted to defend our ideas,” the cardinal said. “But what Christ wants us to be is simply like him, and like Pope Francis has been.”

Asked about what the Catholic Church needs in the wake of Francis’ death, Pierre said it “needs first and foremost to be close to the people, to be attentive to the real needs of the people, especially the poor.”

He further urged Catholics to “remember that Jesus met you and changed your life.” He encouraged the faithful to “be a witness of Jesus for the world today.”

“I met Jesus, and this has transformed my life,” the prelate said. “And because Jesus transformed my life, I cannot do anything else but to announce his presence through my witness of life, but also through the way I live [and the way] I see the world.”

The archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, speaks to EWTN News on Friday, April 25, 2025, in Rome. / Crdit: EWTN News/Screenshot

CNA Staff, Apr 25, 2025 / 19:16 pm (CNA).

The late Pope Francis was “a man of the heart” who preached tenderness and mercy to the global Church, New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan said on Friday. 

Dolan spoke to EWTN News President and COO Montse Alvarado at the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on Friday. The cardinal is one of 10 from the United States who will vote in the upcoming conclave to elect the next pope. 

Reflecting on the three most recent popes — St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis — the cardinal archbishop said John Paul II “reinvigorated the soul of the world” that was weary from “lies” and “atrocities.” Benedict XVI, meanwhile, was known for uniting “the mind, faith, and reason.”

“And Pope Francis, I thought, spoke very much about the heart,” Dolan said. 

“I remember his first time at the window after his election, I guess we were all thinking there would be some theologically erudite talk,” Dolan said. “And [instead] he spoke about tenderness, tenderness.” 

“We have a God who’s tender with us, and we have a God who wants us to be tender with one another,” Dolan continued.

The prelate said it was “magnificent” that Francis’ final encyclical, Dilexit Nos, was a call for Catholics worldwide to rediscover the love and compassion found in the heart of Jesus Christ. 

“Remember when he was in the hospital for so long,” Dolan said of Francis’ hospitalization earlier this year prior to his death. “When we got the medical bulletins [the] doctors would say, ‘Ah, but his heart is strong.’ And I said, ‘You bet it is.’ He was a man of the heart.”

Left: Ismael with his friend Dalia, who traveled from Barcelona, Spain. Right: Nadia Trujillo, Ana Asensio, and their friend who joined them from Portugal. / Credit: Ursula Murua/EWTN News

CNA Staff, Apr 25, 2025 / 18:56 pm (CNA).

At 9:45 p.m. Rome time, 12 hours before Pope Francis’ funeral is set to take place, the first of thousands of pilgrims were already lining up along the streets to catch a glimpse of the late pontiff as his body passes by on the way to the Basilica of St. Mary Major — his final burial place. 

Pope Francis’ funeral will take place on April 26 at 10 a.m. Rome time. Following the funeral, his coffin will be taken in a procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where it will be interred. The procession route is set to take approximately half an hour and will pass several historic, Roman landmarks including the Colosseum. 

Sitting on the sidewalk near St. Peter’s Basilica, Ismael is one pilgrim who intends to “camp out” during the night to be present at this historic moment. Ismael, who preferred not to give his last name, came back to the Catholic Church five years ago — thanks to Pope Francis — after leaving for 20 years.

He credited his return to the Church to the pope’s “message of openness and his welcoming of all people,” he told CNA.

“Since I’m so grateful for my return home, that is why I came to say goodbye,” Ismael, who traveled from Barcelona, Spain, said while showing his backpack that had a picture of the pope and the words: “In the Church we all fit, everyone, everyone” and also: “I came back to the Church thanks to you.”

Among the first in line were also pilgrims from Portugal and El Salvador who live in Milan, Italy. Nadia Trujillo wanted to accompany her friend Ana Asensio on a pilgrimage to Rome to pass through the Holy Door of the jubilee and was surprised by the death of the pope.

“We did not expect the death of the pope to happen, and even less so at the moment when Jesus overcomes death. It gives a life lesson because we are all prone to die, but we must keep in mind who died first and gave us the opportunity to be reborn, which is Jesus Christ,” she said.

Trujillo also thanked the Catholic Church for “the spiritual guidance” she has received from its teachings, because without them, she said, “I would not have grown with guidelines that have stopped me from being more of a sinner than I already am — because we’re all sinners.”

Asensio, who made her first Communion last year, said she has gratitude in her heart for the Holy Father.

“I came because I felt it was a personal commitment because I left the Church, but with what the pope has done, I really came back to the Church and last year I made my first Communion and confirmation,” she shared.

A group of African nuns, Disciples of the Sacred Heart, were also among the first in line Friday night.

Despite the tiredness of the pilgrims, the atmosphere around the basilica is lively and pious, with many faithful continuing to arrive ready to stay up all night to attend the pope’s funeral.

Some pray, others sing songs and share words of hope as they wait for the ceremony to begin in the morning. For them, participating in this historic moment is a gesture of love, a way to pay their last respects to the spiritual father who inspired so many.

The casket of Pope Francis rests sealed in St. Peter's Basilica prior to the Holy Father's funeral, Friday, April 25, 2025, / Credit: Vatican Media

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 25, 2025 / 18:36 pm (CNA).

The funeral for Pope Francis, pontiff from March 13, 2013, until his death on April 21, will be held on Saturday morning in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

Saturday’s funeral will kick off the traditional “Novendiales,” nine consecutive days of mourning for the suffrage of the late pope. He will be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

When and where is the funeral and how can I watch it?

The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Rome time on Saturday, April 26, which is 4 a.m. Eastern Time, 3 a.m. Central Time, 2 a.m. Mountain Time, and 1 a.m. Pacific Time.

The Vatican has not announced how long the funeral will be, but Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral lasted about one and a half hours and St. John Paul II’s funeral was about three hours long.

Pope Francis’ funeral can be watched on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and will be streamed live on EWTN’s YouTube channel.

The funeral will be held on the parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, which is outdoors in front of the basilica.

Who is presiding over the liturgy?

The primary celebrant of Pope Francis’ funeral will be Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, according to a statement from the Holy See.

Re, a native of Italy, was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001. He is 91 years old. He presided over the 2013 papal conclave that elected then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio to the papacy.

The full list of concelebrants is unknown but will include patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and priests from around the world.

Most of the Mass will be said in Latin, but it will also include other languages, such as Italian, English, Polish, and Arabic.

Who will be attending?

The funeral is open to the general public and approximately 200,000 people are expected to attend the service. There will be a heavy security and police presence.

Numerous world leaders have announced they will attend Francis’ funeral, including United States President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Polish President Andrzej Duda.

What will the readings be? 

The Gospel reading for the pontiff’s Mass will be from the 21st chapter of John, when Jesus Christ asked Simon Peter — the first pope — whether he loved him three times and entrusted the faithful to his leadership:

“‘Simon, Son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, Son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’

“He said to him a third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ … He said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.’ (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)

“And after saying this, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’”

The first reading will be from Chapter 10 in the Acts of the Apostles, in which Peter said: “He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

The second reading will be from St. Paul’s Letter to Philippians, in which the apostle said “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

‘In Paradisum’ antiphon

After the Mass, the antiphon “In Paradisum” will be sung, which prays for the angels to guide the pope into heaven.

“May angels lead you into paradise; upon your arrival, may the martyrs receive you and lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem. May the ranks of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, the poor man, may you have eternal rest.”

Sealing of the coffin

On the eve of the funeral, on Friday at 8 p.m. local time, Cardinal Kevin Farrell presided over the sealing of the coffin. The sealing of the coffin marked the end of the time in which the public could view the mortal remains of the Holy Father. 

The pope is in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc, and his face was covered in a silk veil, in accordance with the new papal funeral rite approved by him during his papacy. The previous standards called for three coffins: one of cypress, one of lead, and one of oak.

9 days of mourning and burial

The pope’s funeral marks the first day of the nine days of mourning, known as the “Novendiales.”

Over this period, a requiem Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica each night. A different cardinal will preside over each Mass. Those cardinals were chosen by Francis before his death or serve in key Vatican offices.

Each Mass will be focused on a specific subset of the faithful. The Holy See has confirmed that the Sunday Mass will be focused on the Jubilee of Teenagers, which will be celebrated by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Francis will be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, which is a break from the recent papal tradition of being buried in the Vatican grottoes. The burial location is in accordance with the wishes the Holy Father publicized prior to his death. 

null / Credit: sergign/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 25, 2025 / 18:16 pm (CNA).

A Maryland district court judge this week ordered Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to pay a former employee $60,000 for its refusal to provide spousal health care benefits to the man’s civilly married “husband.”

The union is recognized under Maryland state law and federal law but is not recognized by the Catholic Church. The Church teaches that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman and does not recognize homosexual civil “marriages” between two men or between two women.

In an April 21 ruling, U.S. District Judge Julie Rubin ruled that CRS violated state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination based on a person’s sex and his or her sexual orientation. The judge rejected CRS’ argument that the organization was covered under state and federal religious exemptions to the discrimination laws.

Rubin also rejected CRS’ argument that enforcing the antidiscrimination laws against the religious charity in this instance would violate the First Amendment’s protection of the free exercise of religion.

The dispute came down to the court’s interpretation of the “ministerial exception,” which is a legal doctrine in the United States that exempts religious entities from some antidiscrimination laws. 

It allows exemptions when an employee works in a position that furthers the religious mission of the entity in cases when the antidiscrimination provision would hamper its religious mission.

According to the ruling, the former employee, who is named “John Doe” in the lawsuit, worked as a program data adviser; a data quality and analytics adviser; a global monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning adviser; a program manager; and a gateway manager.

The judge ruled that these positions were not integral to advancing the religious mission of CRS and therefore did not qualify for a religious exemption under federal law or the Maryland Fair Employment Practices Act.

“Doe did not directly further a CRS core mission in any of his five positions held during his employment by CRS,” the ruling states.

“Because the court concludes that none of Doe’s five full-time positions with CRS directly furthered a CRS mission and that each of his positions was one or more steps removed from taking the actions that affect CRS goals, the court … concludes that CRS has not met its burden to show that [the state’s] religious entity exemption applies here,” the ruling adds. 

A spokesperson for CRS told CNA on Friday that the organization did not have a comment at the time and is currently “reviewing the judge’s ruling.”

The former employee issued a statement through his lawyers at Gilbert Employment Law in which he said he was “very happy with Judge Rubin’s ruling.” 

“[I] am honored to be part of such a precedent-setting case that has helped clarify, for employers and employees alike, the legal protections Maryland law provides, especially for LGBTQ+ workers,” the plaintiff said.

Ryan Tucker, who serves as senior counsel at the legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, expressed concern about the judge’s ruling in a statement to CNA. 

“Now and always, every religious organization has the right to hire people who share its faith,” he said. “The government should never penalize a religious nonprofit just because it’s religious. This ruling, however, is deeply concerning due to the implications it may have for the First Amendment rights of religious organizations and employers.”

CRS primarily provides humanitarian aid around the world. According to its mission statement, the organization is “motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to cherish, preserve, and uphold the sacredness and dignity of all human life, foster charity and justice, and embody Catholic social and moral teaching.”

Thousands of Catholics said their last goodbyes and paid their respects to Pope Francis on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, as the late pope lay in state in St. Peter’s Basilica. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA

Vatican City, Apr 25, 2025 / 17:56 pm (CNA).

Among the more than 250,000 people who made their way to the Vatican this week were the nocturnal pilgrims wanting to catch a final glimpse of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica before his Saturday funeral.   

To host the streams of pilgrims in mourning to St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican extended opening hours — with the support of thousands of jubilee and Civil Protection volunteers — to allow visitors to pay their last respects to the late pontiff past midnight. 

Throughout the week several mourners gathered at various entry points surrounding the Vatican after sundown during the week to pay their final respects to the late leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

“When it became known that it would be possible to pray before the pope in St. Peter’s on Wednesday, I immediately thought of going that same day in the evening, after work, because I assumed that as the days went by, more and more people would arrive,” Isabel Troconis told CNA on Friday.

After passing through the Vatican’s security checkpoints and a two-hour wait within St. Peter’s Square, Troconis said she was moved to see so many people come to see the Holy Father on the first day and evening of his public viewing.

“What impressed me most was the variety of people gathered there: families, workers, and tourists from Italy and all over the world; business people and immigrant workers; ordinary and extravagant people; even non-Christian religious figures like a group of Buddhist monks who were walking in silence and very recollected,” she shared. 

Reflecting on the legacy of Pope Francis and the diversity of people who have come to see him “has reminded us that God’s love is not only universal but also concrete and personal: that he is always concerned about each person, especially those most in need,” Troconis said. 

For Laura Pérez, St. Peter’s Basilica is “more beautiful” at night and the evening darkness creates a more conducive atmosphere for prayer and contemplation, she said.

Coming to St. Peter’s Basilica after work on Thursday was the only time she and her group of friends could pass through the jubilee Holy Door and say goodbye to the “joyful and humble” pope who “lived the Gospel” and inspired others to do the same. 

“At some point we started reading the reflection that Pope Francis made for the World Youth Day in Lisbon, like ‘Mary arose and went with haste (Lk 1:39),’” she told CNA on Friday.   

“We were meditating on his words because it was a way of honoring him,” she said. “For young people, he left a lot of messages that are very encouraging, that are very comforting, and that speak to us.”

“It spoke a lot to me to be there [at St. Peter’s Basilica] at night,” she added.