New Market Perspective
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • World

New Market Perspective

World

Crowds gather for Pope Francis’ funeral Mass at the Vatican

by admin April 26, 2025
April 26, 2025
Crowds gather for Pope Francis’ funeral Mass at the Vatican

Throngs of mourners are gathering in Vatican City and lining the streets of Rome on Saturday to give a final send-off to Pope Francis, who will be remembered as a champion of migrants and the poor, and for his efforts to reshape the Catholic Church.

His funeral Mass is being held on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the Catholic Church’s most important sites, with more than 50 world leaders and 11 reigning monarchs in attendance. They are expected to include US President Donald Trump, Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Filipino President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., head of the largest Catholic nation in Asia.

The Vatican has prepared for as many as 250,000 people to flock to St. Peter’s Square and one million more to line the 6-kilometer (3.7 mile) procession route from Vatican City through Rome to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, in hopes of seeing the pope’s modest coffin as it travels to his final resting place.

Many more of world’s 1.4 billion Catholics will watch the funeral for the first Latin American pope on TV.

Pope Francis died at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke on Easter Monday, just one day after he appeared in the same square to offer a blessing to the faithful at the high point of the Christian calendar.

In the days that followed, about 250,000 mourners came to pay their final respects as his body lay in state inside St. Peter’s Basilica. His coffin was officially sealed on Friday night in a liturgical rite led by the Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell, the acting head of the church.

As daylight gleams off the massive travertine columns of St. Peter’s Square on Saturday morning, the funeral Mass will open with the chant, sung in Latin: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.”

A Bible reading will be given in English, and a “Prayer of the Faithful” will be offered up in multiple other languages, including French, Arabic, Portuguese, Polish, German and for the first time, Mandarin, fitting for a pope who sought to reach out to followers in all parts of the globe.

In keeping with tradition, the Mass will include a homily and communion and end with a final commendation and farewell. Francis approved the order of the day for Saturday back in June 2024.

But other elements of the day will be pared back, as Francis had sought to “simplify and adapt” proceedings, so that the papal funeral is “that of a pastor and disciple of Christ, and not of a powerful person in this world,” according to Vatican officials.

Francis, who chose his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, with his commitment to poverty, peace and nature, also wanted to reflect his own dedication to the homeless and disadvantaged in the day’s events.

He believed “the poor have a privileged place in the heart of God,” a Holy See statement said. “For this reason, a group of poor and needy people will be present on the steps leading to the papal Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore to pay their last respects to Pope Francis before the burial of his coffin.”

They will be the last members of the public to see his wooden coffin, after it’s driven slowly through the streets of Rome – past tourist highlights like the Piazza Venezia and the ancient Colosseum – in his final procession.

Francis will become the first pope in more than three centuries to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore, with the interment taking place away from the public eye.

He was a pope of many firsts – the first Latin American Pontiff, the first of the Jesuit order and the first modern-day pope born outside of Europe.

Elected in 2013 as an outsider candidate from Argentina, Francis went on to usher in progressive reforms, including the promotion of women’s roles in the church.

But his 12-year leadership was not without criticism. He took some important steps to address the Catholic Church’s clerical sexual abuse scandals, but campaigners and survivors say there is still much more to do.

Divisions within the Church over same-sex relationships also persisted throughout his papacy. When asked about his position on sexual orientation, the pope famously said, “Who am I to judge?” but also reaffirmed the Church’s position that homosexuality is considered sinful.

And his record was disparaged by some of the more conservative cardinals and members of the Church.

Francis issued a rebuke of the Trump administration’s immigration policy earlier this year, and criticized Vice President JD Vance’s use of theology to defend its approach. Vance was one of the last people to meet with the pope, in a brief encounter on Easter Sunday.

The next pope will be chosen by cardinals from around the world in conclave, a closed-door process that may see a battle play out between those who want to continue Pope Francis’ progressive path and those who want to reverse it.

“He made some good changes in the Church. I think the Church is now more open,” said Laura Grund, from Leipzig, Germany, who was among the last people to see the late pope lying in state. “He opened many doors.”

“He was a very simple man, who loved other people,” said Sister Luisa, a nun from Munich. “We feel very blessed, but also deep sorrow.”

This post appeared first on cnn.com

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Family and friends shattered and scarred by tourist massacre in Kashmir
next post
Virginia Giuffre, prominent Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse survivor and accuser of Prince Andrew, has died

Related Posts

Israeli police investigating deadly explosion in Tel Aviv

August 19, 2024

Mexico prepares to appear before US Supreme Court...

February 27, 2025

‘I’m very grateful’: Stories of heroism emerge as...

January 9, 2025

Brazil ex-leader Bolsonaro rallies thousands of supporters to...

June 30, 2025

Five icons you should know from Time’s 100...

April 18, 2024

Outgunned and outnumbered, Ukraine’s military is struggling with...

September 8, 2024

Same-sex couples face up to 15 years in prison in...

April 28, 2024

‘Professional failures’ led to killing of Palestinian medics...

April 20, 2025

The US now considers these cartels and gangs...

February 22, 2025

Bridge collapses in China killing 15 after flash...

August 2, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest

    • China tells EU it can’t accept Russia losing its war against Ukraine, official says

      July 5, 2025
    • Trump expects Hamas response to ceasefire in hours as new details emerge on proposal

      July 5, 2025
    • Hamas submits ‘positive response’ to ceasefire proposal in major step toward a deal

      July 5, 2025
    • ‘We want an answer’: They fear their relatives are among the hundreds of bodies piled up at a crematorium in Mexico

      July 5, 2025
    • Synagogue door set alight and restaurant stormed in latest antisemitic attacks in Australia

      July 5, 2025
    • Denmark has long been Euroskeptic. Donald Trump helped change that

      July 5, 2025

    Popular

    • 1

      Top 5 Junior Copper Stocks on the TSXV in 2023

      December 22, 2023
    • 2

      Canada Silver Cobalt Begins Drilling at Lowney-Lac Edouard in Quebec, Targeting Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Mineralization

      December 22, 2023
    • 3

      Crypto Market 2023 Year-End Review

      December 22, 2023
    • 4

      10 Top Oil-producing Countries (Updated 2024)

      October 19, 2024
    • 5

      Top 10 Uranium-producing Countries (Updated 2024)

      April 18, 2024
    • 6

      Powered by rain, this seed carrier could help reforest the most remote areas

      December 19, 2023
    • 7

      A troubling theory about traders profiting from Hamas’ attack on Israel drew much attention. Why it may not be so simple.

      December 13, 2023

    Categories

    • Business (1,398)
    • Investing (3,451)
    • Politics (4,518)
    • World (4,424)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: newmarketperspective.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2025 newmarketperspective.com | All Rights Reserved