6am sprints and rooftop communion: Behind the scenes of the papal funeral

The Journal

26-04-2025

Diarmuid Pepper
in Rome
PEOPLE OFTEN SAY that the Catholic Church moves slowly, and so it is with the Vatican's press office too.
The Journal
faced a wait of close to three hours to receive its accreditation for Pope Francis' funeral, but were among the lucky outlets.
Others had to queue over a two-day period and last night, long lines of journalists pleaded their case.
When one person became irate with the wait, an employee with the Vatican's press office replied: 'Please, Papa Francesco just died, we are in mourning and trying our best.'
Journalists desperately trying to access their media accreditation card last night at the Vatican press office
Diarmuid Pepper / The Journal
Diarmuid Pepper / The Journal / The Journal
At 8am this morning, some journalists were still outside the Vatican press office, a stone's throw away from St Peter's Square, desperately seeking their media accreditation card before the 10am funeral.
Perhaps the fight to get the precious media accreditation card set journalists on edge.
At 6am this morning in a court yard just off St Peter's Square, journalists from all over the world were waiting patiently to board a small lift to take them to the top of one of the colonnades that encircle the Square.
Everything moves slowly when it comes to media access at the Vatican but this is kind of next level
@thejournal_ie
pic.twitter.com/L48RwaxnV6
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9)
April 26, 2025
Suddenly, around 30 people sprinted out of the courtyard and towards St Peter's Square.
The rumour mill began – has Trump arrived?
A fellow journalist said nothing good ever comes from running with the crowd, so many others remained in the courtyard.
We were then faced with a choice – wait for the small lift or climb the tiny, centuries old staircase.
The Journal
opted for the staircase and everyone was out of breath at the top but in awe of the view.
View from the colonnade of St Peter's
@thejournal_ie
pic.twitter.com/paqaTDcdAN
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9)
April 26, 2025
From there, we had a birds-eye view of the Cardinals and world leaders coming out of the basilica to take their seat.
Trump, Zelenskyy and our own Michael D Higgins arriving in quick succession
@thejournal_ie
pic.twitter.com/gd6oeicHlu
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9)
April 26, 2025
But it was inside the basilica where all the action was happening,
with US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy sitting face to face just weeks after publicly arguing in the White House.
From atop the colonnade, the photographers perked up and sprung into action any time the Cardinals and Bishops below removed or reapplied their headwear.
When seen from atop, it's easy to see why such theatre attracts the camera.
The moment the cardinals and bishops began to depart Pope Francis's funeral to applause from those gathered as he made his way to Santa Maria Maggiore
pic.twitter.com/xahccxZCi5
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9)
April 26, 2025
Before the funeral Mass, a voice on the loudspeaker encouraged all Catholics present to partake of the Eucharist.
Advertisement
It required an army of priests, several hundred by the look of it from atop the colonnade, and priests were even able to make their way to the top of the colonnade to distribute the Eucharist to Catholic journalists.
I assumed the eucharist wouldn't make its way to the colonnade for the media but I was mistaken
@thejournal_ie
pic.twitter.com/xJZeMcbxJl
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9)
April 26, 2025
Speaking moments after the funeral, Dubliner Marie Heraughty said it was 'emotional' but also a 'wonderful moment able to say goodbye and thank Pope Francis for teaching us how to live mercy and kindness in a better way'.
Like so many, Marie Heraughty was over for originally for the Canonisation of Carlos Acutis. She said he even came through for her group today, when a prayer to him fixed the big screen that was in the blink at St Peter's.
@thejournal_ie
pic.twitter.com/8KQCGJsotJ
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9)
April 26, 2025
She had come to Rome to see the
canonisation of Carlo Acutis, which was postponed
due to Francis' death.
'We got a favour from Carlo Acutis this morning,' said Heraughty with a laugh, 'because the big screen in front of us wasn't working.
'So we all gathered and prayed to Carlos Acutis and it started working again.'
And from there it was a journey of around five kilometres to Santa Marta Maggiore, where Francis was buried.
He's the first pope since Leo XIII, who died in 1903, to be buried outside of the Vatican
It's in a rather unfashionable area of Rome – on a taxi journey to the basilica on the night before Francis' funeral, a taxi driver warned to be especially wary of pickpockets.
Santa Maria Maggiore prior to the burial of Pope Francis
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Perhaps this is one of the reasons Francis chose to be buried here and indeed a group of poor and needy people gave him his final send-off there.
According to Vatican News
, the group included homeless people, prisoners,
refugees
and transgender individuals.
Speaking yesterday, Bishop Benoni Ambarus, who helped organise the send-off, noted that the prisoners from Rome's Rebibbia prison were still awaiting authorisation to attend.
While this final send-off was not televised, a source said they were 'seated in a position of authority'.
The Vatican said that for many of them, he was like a 'father' and each holding a white rose, they were among the last to bid farewell to Francis.
'The poor hold a privileged place in God's heart,' and therefore 'also in the heart and teachings of the Holy Father, who chose the name Francis so as never to forget them,' said the Vatican.
Santa Maria Maggiore also holds a special place in Francis's heart because it houses the Salus Populi Romani icon.
Before and after every foreign journey, he would pray before the Salus Populi Romani icon.
He also made an unscheduled stop on his way home to the Vatican from hospital to pray before the icon.
When Francis appeared from the balcony of the Gemelli hospital in Rome after his 38-day hospitalisation, one of the few words he said was:
'I see this woman with the yellow flowers. Brava.'
🇻🇦💐 Carmela Mancuso, speaking to Rome Reports, talks about seeing Pope Francis on Easter Sunday.
When leaving Rome's Gemelli University Hospital, for the last time, The Pope pointed her out within the crowds of well wishers.
pic.twitter.com/Lt1cws02x5
— Imperial Material ♚ (@royalistinusa)
April 25, 2025
Francis was able to get a hold of these flowers and he placed them before the icon.
The icon depicts a half-figure of Our Lady with the Child Jesus in her arms.
Related Reads
Small group of transgender people and prisoners among the last to say farewell to Pope Francis
Francis, a 'Pope among the people', laid to rest in Rome
Spontaneous applause in St Peter's Square as Zelenskyy arrives for funeral of Pope Francis
Pope Gregory I (590-604) is said to have paused in prayer in front of the icon to implore for an end to the plague.
In a similar vein, Francis prayed under the icon in March 2020 for healthcare workers and all those impacted by Covid.
Pope Francis before the icon within Santa Maria Maggiore on his return to the Vatican after his 38-day stay in hospital
Vatican Media
Vatican Media
At a rosary for Francis at Santa Maria Maggiore last night, a group of Palestinian priests and teenagers were present, with the teenagers wearing jumpers bearing the image of Carlo Acutis, who was due to be canonised tomorrow.
Thousands of teenagers came to Rome to celebrate Carlo but instead are attending the funeral of Francis.
The priest leading the group said he was there to pray for Francis,
a pope he said was a friend to Palestine and to Gaza.
Group of Palestinian teenagers and priests at a Rosary said for Pope Francis outside Santa Maria Maggiore on the night before his burial there
Diarmuid Pepper / The Journal
Diarmuid Pepper / The Journal / The Journal
The priest was also there to meet with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
He is the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the top Catholic in the Middle East, with an archdiocese encompassing Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan and Cyprus.
The Italian was made a cardinal in September 2023, shortly before the war broke out between Israel and Hamas.
In October 2023,
Pizzaballa offered himself in exchange for those held hostage by Hamas.
'If this can lead to freedom and bring those children back home, no problem. On my part, absolute willingness,' said Pizzaballa at the time.
He is one of the Cardinals deemed to be 'papabile' – the closest English translation is 'pope-able'.
Diarmuid Ó Dálaigh and his son Naoise, from Midleton in Co Cork, were among those at the rosary said for Francis at Santa Maria Maggiore last night.
They were in Rome for a family holiday and got caught up in the events.
'We've really become part of the whole funeral, we came here tonight to pay our respects, and we're delighted to do so.
'It's been very moving the whole way through and we've great time for Pope Francis.
'He was one of the greats in terms of world leaders and he'll be remembered like Gandhi and Martin Luther King and others.
He also spoke to the group from Palestine.
'They shared their struggle and their story with us here.'
Naoise and his dad Diarmuid outside Santa Marie Maggiore, where Pope Francis will be buried tomorrow morning. Naoise talks about his hopes for the next pope while Diarmuid discusses having met a group from Palestine at the rosary which was said from the basilica
@thejournal_ie
pic.twitter.com/eIv8HMGZ2T
— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9)
April 25, 2025
Meanwhile, Naoise remarked that it's a 'very historic event' and noted that it is the first funeral of a sitting pope since John Paul II died in 2005.
'I was only two-years-old when Pope Francis came in so it's kind of an end of an era, but we'll hope for a good choice in the next conclave and hope for the Holy Spirit to guide it as well.'
Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article.
Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.
Learn More
Support The Journal