Korede Abdullah in Lagos
The Vatican had announced that Pope Francis’s funeral will be held Saturday at 10:00 am in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, drawing world leaders including Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, and Volodymyr Zelensky.
His body will lie in state beginning Wednesday before being interred at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore — a humble resting place he personally chose, marking the first time in over a century a pope will be buried outside the Vatican.
His simple coffin, crafted from wood and zinc as per his wishes, reflects a man who eschewed papal luxury and chose plain robes over traditional grandeur.
Pope Francis, the first pontiff from the Americas and a tireless advocate for compassion and reform, passed away on Monday at the age of 88 following a stroke that led to irreversible heart failure.
Just weeks earlier, he had returned home from battling double pneumonia, continuing to appear in public despite his frail condition.
“He tried to get people to understand it doesn’t matter your sexual orientation, your race… it doesn’t matter in the eyes of God,” said Mateo Rey, a 22-year-old student, as thousands gathered at St. Peter’s Square to mourn the late pope.
Elected in 2013 after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Francis led with passion and conviction.
He championed migrants, the environment, and social justice, while initiating key governance reforms and addressing financial scandals in the Holy See.
Though critics felt his handling of sexual abuse cases did not go far enough, his openness and drive to make the Church more inclusive earned global admiration.
As Argentina enters a week of mourning and India honors him with three days of state mourning, the conclave to elect his successor will begin within weeks, closing the chapter on a papacy that truly sought to reflect the mercy and humility of Christ.
