Vatican City, Vatican – Funeral service for Pope Francis don start as him coffin don lay for front of St. Peter’s Basilica. The service, wey go led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, wey be the dean of the College of Cardinals, gather plenty mourners to celebrate the life of the late pontiff.
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis’ tombstone na marble from Liguria, Italy, where him grandparents come from. The gathering wey dey unfold for St. Peter’s Square don reach full capacity, with about 50,000 people wey don come to pay their last respects.
Notable world leaders wey don join the service include U.S. President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and Britain’s Prince William. Other dignitaries wey dey present na King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, as well as Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The guest list also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, totaling about 164 foreign delegations.
The Vatican say guests go sit down according to French alphabetical order as the ceremony go on. After the funeral, the late pope’s body go transit to St. Mary Major, where he go finally rest.
As a powerful symbol of Pope Francis’ dedication to the poor and needy, a group of underprivileged people go gather for the steps of St. Mary Major to pay their last tribute before him casket enter the tomb. “This gesture represents his legacy of love and compassion for the less fortunate,” the Vatican stated.
Before the funeral, police estimate about 40,000 people don dey gather inside St. Peter’s Square as many more dey fill Via della Conciliazione and other access roads, bringing the total to about 100,000 estimated attendees.
The rituals wey go accompany the burial of Pope Francis continue a tradition wey no be new, as many past popes don receive similar honors. The rituals dey summarized in a 400-page book wey include all the prayers, music, and rites wey don dey used for papal funerals over the years.
As security and special forces dey prepare for the event, aerial surveillance and anti-drone units dey also on ground to ensure safety for all participants, signaling say the Vatican take dis occasion very serious.
As the world gather to mourn the loss of Pope Francis, many go remember the impact wey him leadership don get on the Catholic Church and the global community.
