Nun who broke protocol at Pope's funeral speaks out after viral moment
A devastated nun who went viral for breaking protocol as she stood by Pope Francis' coffin has spoken out after bursting into tears next to his casket. Sister Genevieve Jeanningros, 81, was given the go-ahead to stand by her close friend's coffin on the first day of the Pope's lying-in-state.
The French-Argentine nun was seen entering the restricted zone at St Peter's Basilica, which is usually kept private for priests, bishops and cardinals. However, she was allowed to step into the area because of their sweet friendship, which began when the Pope was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires.
In the viral footage, the nun could be seen wiping away her tears with a tissue. Now, she has spoken of the moment she went to his casket and said some of her sadness was from the requests people had given her before she went.
She has now visited St. Peter's Basilica four times, with the most recent being on Friday. She told the Vatican press service: "Many people told me: when you go to see the Pope, take us with you. I cried for them too."
On her latest visit, she brought along Laura Esquibel, a trans woman who also knew Pope Francis. Laura, from Paraguay, said: "I was the first trans woman to shake his hand. I've seen him seven times, we had lunch together. I liked him a lot."
Since going viral, Geneviève has received dozens of requests from the press to give interviews, however, she has denied them all, reports GI. She admitted she struggles to speak about the subject. She added: "No, I can't. I don't want to talk to anyone, I'm sorry. I can't because it's too much, you know? I liked him a lot, that's it."
Some 250,000 mourners paid their respects to Pope Francis over a three-day lying-in-state, the Vatican said on the eve of his funeral. World leaders and dignitaries were arriving in Rome on Friday to attend what will be a huge gathering in St Peter's Square for his requiem mass.
The final mourners had a chance to see the Pope close up in the grand surrounds of St Peter's Basilica before his coffin was closed in private.
Following Saturday's open-air funeral in the square, Francis' remains will be taken through the streets of Rome in another break with tradition, as his body is brought to a simple underground tomb in the basilica of Saint Mary Major, as per his instructions.
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