DILI, 26 April 2025 (TATOLI) – Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88, was laid to rest today at around 1 p.m. local time in a simple tomb in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, a couple of miles away from the Vatican City.
Before the translation of Pope Francis’ body to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, the funeral Mass was held on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, and joined by more than 200 Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops, Bishops, priests, and consecrated religious.
In his homily, Cardinal Battista highlighted Pope Francis’ remarkable 12 years of pontificate, marked by his closeness to the people—especially the poor—and his efforts to reshape the Catholic Church to be open to everyone.
Cardinal Re said that despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life.
“The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of last Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite his serious health problems, wanted to give us his blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica. He then came down to this Square to greet the large crowd gathered for the Easter Mass while riding in the open-top Popemobile,” he said.
Cardinal stressed that Pope Francis’ gestures and exhortations in favour of refugees and displaced persons were countless: “His insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant.
He also highlighted Pope Francis’ call for human fraternity, especially in his encyclical Fratelli tutti and the 2019 Abu Dhabi Joint Declaration on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, which underscored the Pope’s desire for global solidarity and peace.
Cardinal Re also recalled Pope Francis’ efforts and appeals for world peace during times of global violence and war, saying that the Pope’s voice always stood out as a voice of peace.
“Dear Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. May you bless the Church, bless Rome, and bless the whole world from heaven as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this Basilica in a final embrace with all the people of God, but also embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope,” Cardinal Re said.
More than 200,000 people and Catholic faithful gathered in Vatican City, with over 40,000 people filling St. Peter’s Square to attend the highly choreographed ceremony which took place on Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 AM local time.
President Jose Ramos Horta and Timor-Leste’s Foreign Minister, Bendito Freitas, were among many world leaders, including Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who attended the funeral Mass.
Pope Francis, who visited Timor-Leste from 9 to 11 September, 2024, was deeply loved and respected by many Timorese people. During his three-day stay in the country, Pope Francis met with some of the country’s national and religious leaders, visited vulnerable groups, and spoke to massive crowds of the faithful in Dili.
During his three-day stay in Timor-Leste, he left a message of hope, unity, and commitment to peace, emphasizing the importance of youth and the protection of the cultural and spiritual values of the Timorese people.
On Saturday, 26 April, one hour after Pope Francis’s funeral Mass at the Vatican, a Solemn Mass was held at Tasi Tolu, Dili, at 6pm, the same place that hosted the historic Eucharistic celebration during the Pope’s visit to Timor-Leste, as an expression of gratitude and a final tribute to His Holiness Pope Francis.
Pope Francis was born in Buenos Aires on 17 December 1936, the son of Italian immigrants. On 11 March 1958 he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. On 13 December 1969 he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano. On 20 May 1992 Pope John Paul II appointed him titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires. On 21 February 2001, John Paul II created him Cardinal, assigning him the title of San Roberto Bellarmino. On March 13th, 2013, he was elected Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, adopting the name Francis in reference to Saint Francis of Assisi, a symbol of humility and commitment to the poor.
TATOLI
