Pope Francis, the father and head of the Catholic Church, will now live on in history and memory. Having lived as an embodiment of simplicity for twelve years, one month, and eight days on the high seat of the great fisherman, bearing the name of St. Francis of Assisi and following his example, Pope Francis entered eternal rest on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at 7.35 am Italian time.
Since the beginning of February, the Pope had been experiencing difficulties due to respiratory issues. On February 14, he was admitted to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome. Following a diagnosis of bilateral pneumonia, he received expert medical care. However, at one point, his condition became extremely critical, leading the world to immerse in prayers for his recovery. As a result of these prayers, he was discharged on March 23.
Although slowly, he was returning to normal life. At the end of the Palm Sunday liturgy, he appeared in a wheelchair, greeted the faithful, and wished them a blessed Holy Week. Although he did not participate in the foot-washing ceremony of Holy Thursday, he did not forget to visit and meet inmates in prison, as was his custom. On Easter day, he imparted the “Urbi et Orbi” blessing to the city of Rome and the entire world. However, the very next day, due to a stroke and cardiac arrest, the Pope unexpectedly bade farewell to the world. The Camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, officially announced the Pope’s death to the world.
From April 23 to 25, Pope Francis’ body was placed for public viewing at St. Peter’s Basilica. His mortal remains were brought in procession from the chapel on the lower floor of Santa Marta, his official residence. Over five lakh people paid their last respects to the deceased Pope until the coffin was closed for the funeral rites. Many waited for over five hours in the long queue. Public viewing continued until 7 pm on Friday. Cardinal Kevin Farrell closed the coffin at 8 pm on Friday night.
On Saturday morning at 10 am (1:30 pm Indian time), the funeral rites began in the courtyard of St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re. Cardinal Re said that everyone should pray for Pope Francis’ soul as God welcomes him into everlasting joy. He recalled that it was Pope Francis’ conviction that the Church is a home with always-open doors for everyone, and that this belief inspired the Pope to describe the Church as a “field hospital of action.”
Following the Holy Mass and prayers, the mortal remains were transferred to the Pope mobile at Santa Marta Square and then taken in a funeral procession to the Church of Our Lady, located six kilometers away. According to the Pope’s wish, the burial was carried out in the simplest manner, with all decorations removed at the designated spot.
Indian President Droupadi Murmu, U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, French President Emmanuel Macron, Argentine President Javier Milei, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and others participated in the funeral ceremonies. More than six hundred thousand people from different parts of the world attended the Pope’s funeral rites.
Kerala Presence in the Funeral Ceremonies
At the funeral rites of Pope Francis, Syro-Malabar Church Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil, Syro-
Malankara Major Archbishop Cardinal Baselios Mar Cleemis, Cardinal Mar George Jacob Koovakad, and
Major Archbishop Emeritus Cardinal Mar George Alencherry were present. Union Minister of State Sri. George Kurian, State of Kerala Minister for Water Resources, Sri. Roshy Augustine, and Sri. Chandy Oommen MLA were also present to pay their final respects to the Pope. Among those chosen to accompany the final journey of Pope Francis with the floral tribute up to the burial site was Nia, a fourth-grade student and a member of the Santa Anastasia Basilica parish in the Vatican, which is entrusted to the Syro-Malabar Church.
Mary Major Basilica and Pope Francis
The mortal of Popes are usually interred in St. Peter’s Basilica. However, Pope Francis, diverging from this tradition, had expressed in his will as early as 2022 his wish to be buried in the Mary Major Basilica, where he regularly went to pray. Accordingly, arrangements have been made for his final resting place in the Basilica dedicated to the Mother of God. Notably, Pope Francis would not be the first to be buried there. Seven Popes have been laid to rest in this church before him: Pope Honorius III, Pope Nicholas IV, Saint Pius V, Pope Sixtus V, Pope Clement VIII, Pope Paul V, and Pope Clement IX.
