On Saturday, more than 250,000 mourners gathered in St. Peter’s Square to pay their final respects to Pope Francis in a funeral marked by a powerful sense of unity. People from all walks of life — from world leaders to the marginalized—came together, reflecting a papacy that, as Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said during the service, “touched minds and hearts” and sought to “build bridges, not walls.”
An estimated 400,000 more lined the streets of Rome, with live broadcasts uniting Catholics across continents, including India and Britain. In Hyderabad, India, nuns in white and blue habits joined faithful followers in watching the ceremony, while multiple Masses were held in London’s Westminster Cathedral.
Pope Francis had requested to be laid to rest at Santa Maria Maggiore, a fourth-century basilica in Rome, making him the first pope in over a century not to be buried in St. Peter’s Basilica. His final journey through the streets of Rome in the popemobile came as a surprise, creating a deeply emotional farewell.
Following tradition, the Catholic Church has entered a nine-day mourning period known as Novemdiales, with daily Masses in memory of the late pope. The next significant event is the conclave, during which the College of Cardinals will elect a new pope. According to the rules set by Pope John Paul II and later modified by Pope Benedict XVI, the conclave must begin between 15 and 20 days after a pope’s death. Therefore, the conclave is expected to begin in early May, though no firm date has been announced.
Currently, 135 cardinals are eligible to vote, but only those under the age of 80 may participate. The process will take place behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel. A two-thirds majority is required to elect the next pope.
Ahead of the funeral, world leaders, including Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, held discussions inside St. Peter’s Basilica. Zelenskyy described the meeting as “very symbolic.”
As the Church now looks toward the future, this conclave will be pivotal. Thanks to Pope Francis’ reforms, the College of Cardinals now represents a broader cross-section of the global Catholic community, making the outcome of the next election particularly significant.
