Pope Francis was laid to rest after a grand funeral, which was attended by over two lakh people, held on Saturday at the Vatican days after his death at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, April 21.
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Pope Francis's death set off mourning across the Catholic world and days of ritual at the Vatican. US President Donald Trump, India's Droupadi Murmu and several other world leaders attended the funeral with thousands of people lining up at the St. Peter's Square and the streets of Rome for a final glance.
Here is Pope Francis' funeral in 10 points.
Pope Francis’ funeral: From who attended to being buried outside the Vatican| 10 points
- Pope Francis' funeral was held Saturday morning in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. His coffin was then taken by motorcade across downtown Rome to the spot where he wished to be laid to rest in a simple underground tomb at Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, according to his will.
- The church where the Pontiff was buried is home to his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, to whom he was particularly devoted.
- Heads of more than 50 countries attended the funeral, showing his appeal around the world. US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, were among those attending the funeral. President Droupadi Murmu represented India. Other dignitaries included: Prince William, French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and European Council President António Costa.
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- Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky met in private before the funeral mass. It was the first meeting between the two leaders since their public spat in the White House on February 28. The Ukrainian President hailed the meeting as ‘symbolic’ and ‘productive’
- Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re reiterated Pope Francis' favourite political themes at his funeral mass as the world leaders listened. These included immigration, climate change and compassion. Cardinal Re also repeated a message that the Pope had given to Donald Trump almost a decade ago, ‘build bridges, not walls’.
- The Vatican authorities said that more than 2,50,000 people joined the funeral at St. Peter's Square with tens of thousands lined up in the streets of Rome during the Papal procession.
- The funeral mass lasted 2 hours and 10 minutes, after which the coffin was moved to St. Peter's Basilica, from where the procession to the final resting place started.
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- Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky met in private before the funeral mass. It was the first meeting between the two leaders since their public spat in the White House on February 28. The Ukrainian President hailed the meeting as ‘symbolic’ and ‘productive’
- Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re reiterated Pope Francis' favourite political themes at his funeral mass as the world leaders listened. These included immigration, climate change and compassion. Cardinal Re also repeated a message that the Pope had given to Donald Trump almost a decade ago, ‘build bridges, not walls’.
- The Vatican authorities said that more than 2,50,000 people joined the funeral at St. Peter's Square with tens of thousands lined up in the streets of Rome during the Papal procession.
- The funeral mass lasted 2 hours and 10 minutes, after which the coffin was moved to St. Peter's Basilica, from where the procession to the final resting place started.
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- The Pontiff prayed at the same church, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, where he was buried in an underground tomb in Rome, before and after every foreign trip.
- Pope Francis became the first Pontiff in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican. His tomb is also said to be a humble place, breaking the tradition of big burial sites of his predecessors.
- While his burial was kept out of public view, the general public would be allowed to pay their respects at a rosary outside the Basilica from Sunday morning. The conclave of Cardinals will sit soon to elect the new Pope.
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