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The Sun
29-04-2025
- General
- The Sun
Crowds bid farewell to Pope Francis in first day of lying in state
VATICAN CITY: Tens of thousands of mourners paid last respects to Pope Francis at St Peter's Basilica Wednesday, on the first of three days of lying in state for the head of the world's Catholics. Pilgrims and tourists queued for hours to file past the open coffin of the Argentine pontiff, who died on Monday aged 88. 'We wanted to say thank you to one of the most humble popes,' said Portuguese medical student Francisca Antunes, 21, after leaving the Vatican basilica with a friend. 'It felt really good to be in there,' she told AFP. By 7:45 pm (1745 GMT), almost nine hours after the doors of the basilica opened to the public, more than 19,400 people had paid their respects, the Vatican said. Simonetta Marini, a 67-year-old from Rome, praised Francis's human touch and defence of the world's underdogs, which helped steer the Catholic Church towards a more inclusive, compassionate path. 'I came to say a last goodbye to a great man. He stood for the people,' Marini said. Francis was an energetic reformer who took over as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics in 2013. His death, after a stroke and heart failure, came nearly a month after he left hospital where he spent five weeks being treated for pneumonia. Dressed in his papal vestments -- a red chasuble, white mitre and black shoes -- and with a rosary laced between his fingers, the pope's body has been laid out in a red-lined wooden coffin. For three days, it will rest on a low bier before the Altar of the Confession underneath the basilica's soaring dome painted by Michelangelo. His funeral is on Saturday. The public viewing continued until midnight Wednesday, then from 7:00am to midnight on Thursday and 7:00am to 7:00pm on Friday. The Vatican said the hours could be extended. Procession of cardinals Vincenza Nocilla, a 67-year-old retired nurse, left her home in Formia, south of Rome, at 4:00 am to be among the first to see the pontiff. She said it was 'really moving' but noted, however, that 'they don't let you stay long, you walk by, say a quick goodbye and go'. An Irish couple said it was a 'priority' to see Francis while on holiday in Rome, and hailed his efforts to tackle clerical sexual abuse. 'He was a great man, a great advocate for the poor, the underprivileged and those who suffered at the hands of his flock,' said Cliodhna Devlin. Hours before, a procession of cardinals, clergy and Swiss Guards escorted Francis's coffin from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, where he lived during his 12-year papacy, to St Peter's, as the basilica's bells tolled. Scores of world leaders and dignitaries will attend the funeral, including US President Donald Trump, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, Argentine President Javier Milei and Spain's royal couple. Up to 170 foreign delegations are expected, the interior ministry said. Security operation Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute at a special joint session of parliament in Rome, before going to pay her own respects at St Peter's. She described Francis as a 'determined' man who nevertheless made others feel at ease. 'With him you could talk about everything. You could open up, and tell your story without filters or fear of being judged,' she said. After the funeral, Francis's coffin will be taken to his favourite church, Rome's papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where it will be interred in the ground and marked by a simple inscription: Franciscus. Authorities have ramped up security for the funeral. The weekend is already due to be busy because of a public holiday Friday. A spokesman for Italy's civil protection unit, Pierfrancesco Demilito, told AFP it was impossible to predict the expected crowds, but estimated 'several hundred thousand at least'. Third meeting Thursday After the funeral, all eyes will turn to the process to choose Francis's successor. Cardinals from around the world are returning to Rome for the conclave, which should begin no less than 15 days and no more than 20 after a pope's death. Only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. Cardinals have already met twice, in so-called general congregations -- the first time on Tuesday, when they set the funeral date, and again on Wednesday. Some 103 cardinals out of 252 attended Wednesday's meeting, the Vatican said. Only 135 are eligible to vote in the conclave. They agreed a plan for the traditional nine days of mourning for the pope, the so-called 'novemdiales', which will run from Saturday until May 4. Another meeting was set for Thursday at 9:00am (0700 GMT), but the Vatican has brushed aside hopes of an announcement of the conclave date, insisting the focus is on the funeral. At the time of his death, Francis was under doctors' orders to rest for two months. But the headstrong pope continued to make public appearances despite appearing tired and short of breath. On Easter Sunday, he circled St Peter's Square in his popemobile to greet crowds, stopping to kiss babies along the way. He died the next morning after having a stroke, then falling into a coma and suffering heart failure, according to his death certificate.
Daily Tribune
24-04-2025
- General
- Daily Tribune
Pope Francis lying in state Tens of thousands bid farewell
See Tens of thousands of mourners began saying their last goodbyes to Pope Francis at St Peter's Basilica Wednesday, as the body of the late Argentine pontiff began three days of lying in state. By mid-afternoon, the wait to enter St Peter's Basilica was about three hours, as the long line of pilgrims and tourists wishing to pass by the pontiff's open coffin circled the vast Baroque square. 'We wanted to say thank you to one of the most humble popes,' said Portuguese medical student Francisca Antunes, 21, after leaving the basilica with a friend. 'It felt really good to be in there,' she told AFP. Roman pensioner Simonetta Marini, 67, said the crowds attested to widespread admiration for Francis, whose human touch and defence of the world's underdogs helped steer the Catholic Church towards a more inclusive, compassionate path. 'I came to say a last goodbye to a great man. He stood for the people,' Marini said. Francis, an energetic reformer from Buenos Aires who took over as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics in 2013, died on Monday aged 88, after suffering a stroke. His death came nearly a month after he was released from hospital where he spent five weeks being treated for pneumonia. Dressed in his papal vestments -- a red chasuble, white mitre and black shoes -- and with a rosary laced between his fingers, the pope's body has been laid out in a red-lined wooden coffin. For the next three days, it will rest on a low bier before the Altar of the Confession underneath the soaring dome painted by Michelangelo, before being closed at 8:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Friday evening ahead of Saturday's funeral. Vincenza Nocilla, a 67-year-old retired nurse, left her home in Formia, south of Rome, at 4:00 am to be among the first to see the pontiff. She said it was 'really moving' but noted, however, that 'they don't let you stay long, you walk by, say a quick goodbye and go'. A retired Irish couple said it was a 'priority' to come see Francis while on holiday in Rome, and hailed his efforts to tackle clerical sexual abuse.
Daily Tribune
24-04-2025
- General
- Daily Tribune
Huge crowds bid farewell to Pope Francis
AFP | Vatican City Tens of thousands of mourners paid last respects to Pope Francis at St Peter's Basilica yesterday, on the first of three days of lying in state for the head of the world's Catholics. Pilgrims and tourists queued for hours to file past the open coffin of the Argentine pontiff, who died on Monday aged 88. 'We wanted to say thank you to one of the most humble popes,' said Portuguese medical student Francisca Antunes, 21, after leaving the Vatican basilica with a friend. 'It felt really good to be in there,' she told AFP. By 7:45 pm (1745 GMT), almost nine hours after the doors of the basilica opened to the public, more than 19,400 people had paid their respects, the Vatican said. Simonetta Marini, a 67-yearold from Rome, praised Francis's human touch and defence of the world's underdogs, which helped steer the Catholic Church towards a more inclusive, compassionate path. 'I came to say a last goodbye to a great man. He stood for the people,' Marini said. Francis was an energetic reformer who took over as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics in 2013.
New Straits Times
24-04-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
Crowds bid farewell to Pope Francis in first day of lying in state
VATICAN CITY: Tens of thousands of mourners paid last respects to Pope Francis at St Peter's Basilica on Wednesday, on the first of three days of lying in state for the head of the world's Catholics. Pilgrims and tourists queued for hours to file past the open coffin of the Argentine pontiff, who died on Monday aged 88. "We wanted to say thank you to one of the most humble popes," said Portuguese medical student Francisca Antunes, 21, after leaving the Vatican basilica with a friend. "It felt really good to be in there," she told AFP. By 7.45pm (1745 GMT), almost nine hours after the doors of the basilica opened to the public, more than 19,400 people had paid their respects, the Vatican said. Simonetta Marini, a 67-year-old from Rome, praised Francis's human touch and defence of the world's underdogs, which helped steer the Catholic Church towards a more inclusive, compassionate path. "I came to say a last goodbye to a great man. He stood for the people," Marini said. Francis was an energetic reformer who took over as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics in 2013. His death, after a stroke and heart failure, came nearly a month after he left hospital where he spent five weeks being treated for pneumonia. Dressed in his papal vestments – a red chasuble, white mitre and black shoes – and with a rosary laced between his fingers, the pope's body has been laid out in a red-lined wooden coffin. For three days, it will rest on a low bier before the Altar of the Confession underneath the basilica's soaring dome painted by Michelangelo. His funeral is on Saturday. The public viewing continued until midnight Wednesday, then from 7am to midnight on Thursday and 7am to 7pm on Friday. The Vatican said the hours could be extended. Vincenza Nocilla, a 67-year-old retired nurse, left her home in Formia, south of Rome, at 4am to be among the first to see the pontiff. She said it was "really moving" but noted, however, that "they don't let you stay long, you walk by, say a quick goodbye and go." An Irish couple said it was a "priority" to see Francis while on holiday in Rome, and hailed his efforts to tackle clerical sexual abuse. "He was a great man, a great advocate for the poor, the underprivileged and those who suffered at the hands of his flock," said Cliodhna Devlin. Hours before, a procession of cardinals, clergy and Swiss Guards escorted Francis's coffin from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, where he lived during his 12-year papacy, to St Peter's, as the basilica's bells tolled. Scores of world leaders and dignitaries will attend the funeral, including US President Donald Trump, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Argentine President Javier Milei and Spain's royal couple. Up to 170 foreign delegations are expected, the interior ministry said. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute at a special joint session of parliament in Rome, before going to pay her own respects at St Peter's. She described Francis as a "determined" man who nevertheless made others feel at ease. "With him you could talk about everything. You could open up, and tell your story without filters or fear of being judged," she said. After the funeral, Francis's coffin will be taken to his favourite church, Rome's papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where it will be interred in the ground and marked by a simple inscription: Franciscus. Authorities have ramped up security for the funeral. The weekend is already due to be busy because of a public holiday Friday. A spokesman for Italy's civil protection unit, Pierfrancesco Demilito, told AFP it was impossible to predict the expected crowds, but estimated "several hundred thousand at least." After the funeral, all eyes will turn to the process to choose Francis's successor. Cardinals from around the world are returning to Rome for the conclave, which should begin no less than 15 days and no more than 20 after a pope's death. Only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. Cardinals have already met twice, in so-called general congregations – the first time on Tuesday, when they set the funeral date, and again on Wednesday. Some 103 cardinals out of 252 attended Wednesday's meeting, the Vatican said. Only 135 are eligible to vote in the conclave. They agreed a plan for the traditional nine days of mourning for the pope, the so-called novemdiales, which will run from Saturday until May 4. Another meeting was set for Thursday at 9am (0700 GMT), but the Vatican has brushed aside hopes of an announcement of the conclave date, insisting the focus is on the funeral. At the time of his death, Francis was under doctors' orders to rest for two months. But the headstrong pope continued to make public appearances despite appearing tired and short of breath. On Easter Sunday, he circled St Peter's Square in his popemobile to greet crowds, stopping to kiss babies along the way. He died the next morning after having a stroke, then falling into a coma and suffering heart failure, according to his death certificate.
Straits Times
23-04-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Tens of thousands bid farewell to Pope Francis as he lies in state
People queuing to pay their respects as Pope Francis lies in state in St Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, on April 23. PHOTO: REUTERS Tens of thousands bid farewell to Pope Francis as he lies in state VATICAN CITY - Tens of thousands of mourners queued to say their last goodbyes to Pope Francis at St Peter's Basilica on April 23, as the body of the late Argentine pontiff began three days of lying in state. By the afternoon, the wait to enter the church was more than four hours, as the long line of pilgrims and tourists wishing to pass by the pontiff's open coffin circled the vast St Peter's Square. 'We wanted to say thank you to one of the most humble popes,' said Portuguese medical student Francisca Antunes, 21, after leaving the basilica with a friend. 'It felt really good to be in there,' she told AFP. Roman pensioner Simonetta Marini, 67, said the crowds attested to widespread admiration for Francis, whose human touch and defence of the world's underdogs helped steer the Catholic Church towards a more inclusive, compassionate path. 'I came to say a last goodbye to a great man. He stood for the people,' Ms Marini said. Francis, an energetic reformer who took over as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics in 2013, died on April 21 aged 88. His death, after a stroke, came nearly a month after he was released from hospital where he spent five weeks being treated for pneumonia. Dressed in his papal vestments – a red chasuble, white mitre and black shoes – and with a rosary laced between his fingers, the pope's body has been laid out in a red-lined wooden coffin. For three days, it will rest on a low bier before the Altar of the Confession underneath the soaring dome painted by Michelangelo, before being closed at 8pm on the evening of April 25 ahead of the April 26 funeral. Procession of cardinals Ms Vincenza Nocilla, a 67-year-old retired nurse, left her home in Formia, south of Rome, at 4am to be among the first to see the pontiff. She said it was 'really moving' but noted, however, that 'they don't let you stay long, you walk by, say a quick goodbye and go'. A retired Irish couple said it was a 'priority' to come see Francis while on holiday in Rome, and hailed his efforts to tackle clerical sexual abuse. 'He was a great man, a great advocate for the poor, the underprivileged and those who suffered at the hands of his flock,' said Ms Cliodhna Devlin. People queuing to pay their respects as Pope Francis lies in state in St Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, on April 23. PHOTO: REUTERS The Vatican said that because of the large turnout it was considering keeping the basilica open past its scheduled closing time at midnight. Hours before, a colourful procession of cardinals, clergy and Swiss Guards escorted Francis' coffin from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, where he lived during his 12-year papacy, to St Peter's, as the basilica's bells tolled. Pallbearers, next to Swiss Guards, carry the coffin of the late Pope Francis as it is transported from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter's Basilica, on April 23. PHOTO: AFP Scores of world leaders and dignitaries plan to attend the April 26 funeral, including US President Donald Trump, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, Argentine President Javier Milei and Spain's royal couple. Up to 170 foreign delegations are expected, the interior ministry said. 'Sorely missed' Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on April 23 led the tributes during a special joint session of Parliament in Rome, before going herself to see the Pope lying in state. In Parliament, she described Francis as a 'determined' man who nevertheless made others feel at ease. 'With him you could talk about everything. You could open up, and tell your story without filters or fear of being judged,' Ms Meloni said, adding that the last thing he told her was never to lose her sense of humour. Italy's Prime Minister, Ms Giorgia Meloni, paying her respects to Pope Francis at St Peter's Basilica on April 23. PHOTO: AFP After the funeral, Francis' coffin will be taken to his favourite church, Rome's papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where it will be interred in the ground and marked by a simple inscription: Franciscus. Authorities have ramped up security for the funeral, with the weekend already due to be busy because of a public holiday April 25. A spokesman for Italy's civil protection unit, Pierfrancesco Demilito, told AFP it was impossible to predict the expected crowds, but estimated 'several hundred thousand at least'. Italy has declared five days of national mourning – longer than the three days observed for Polish pope John Paul II in 2005, but less than the week declared for Francis by his native Argentina. The Philippines – one of the world's most populous Catholic-majority countries – also declared four days of national mourning. Thoughts for the deceased pope came from as far afield as East Timor, which Francis visited in 2024, with the rector of Dili's largest Catholic seminary, Miguel Arcanjo da Costa, calling Francis 'a diamond for us'. 'We hope that the next pope is like him.' Cardinals to meet After the funeral, all eyes will turn to the process to choose Francis' successor. Cardinals around the world are returning to Rome for the conclave, which should begin no less than 15 days and no more than 20 after a pope's death. Only those under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. Cardinals have already met twice, in so-called general congregations – the first time on the morning of April 22, where they set the funeral date, and again on the afternoon of April 23. At the time of his death, Francis was under doctors' orders to rest for two months. But the headstrong pope continued to make public appearances despite appearing tired and short of breath. On Easter Sunday, he circled St Peter's Square in his popemobile to greet the crowds, stopping to kiss babies along the way. He died the next morning after suffering a stroke, a coma and heart failure, according to his death certificate. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
