In a ceremony steeped in tradition, faith and his characteristic humility, the head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis has been laid to rest.
The 88-year-old pontiff died earlier this month after suffering a stroke and irreversible heart failure.
Dozens of leaders, dignitaries and royals joined an estimated 200,000 mourners in and around St Peter’s Square in the Vatican for the funeral mass.
Pope Francis opted for a pared-back ceremony, asking to be laid to rest in a simple wooden casket instead of the three interlocking coffins some of his predecessors were buried in.
An estimated 200,000 people flocked to the Vatican for the funeral mass. (Reuters: Yara Nardi)
And while this was a deeply spiritual moment for Catholics around the world, the funeral still set the stage for some surprising diplomacy on the sidelines.
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re called for world leaders to “build bridges, not walls” — something Francis once asked of US President Donald Trump.
But it came as the American leader already attempted to forge a new bond with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a quiet meeting before the funeral began.
Here are the key moments from Pope Francis’s farewell.
VIPs included the Trumps and Zelenskyy
Pope Francis may have been a humble man, but his funeral was a star-studded affair.
US President Donald Trump, who stood out from the primarily black-clad crowd in a navy blue suit, attended the funeral with his wife, Melania.
Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump were in the crowd of VIPS. (Reuters: Dylan Martinez)
America’s first lady Melania Trump attended the funeral with her husband, President Donald Trump. (Getty Images: Dan Kitwood)
America’s first lady was secretly baptised as Roman Catholic in her native Yugoslavia, where religion was outlawed at the time by Communist rulers.
She attended the funeral in a black suit and mantilla, a traditional liturgical lace veil.
In what could have potentially been an awkward moment, Ukrainian President Voloydymyr Zelenskyy was also at the funeral.
He hadn’t seen Trump since their extraordinary meeting in the Oval Office in March, during which the US President accused Mr Zelenskyy of “gambling with World War III”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the mass with his wife Olena Zelenska. (NurPhoto via Getty Images: Jaap Arriens)
During the meeting, a reporter ridiculed Mr Zelenskyy for not wearing a suit, a choice the Ukrainian leader has made in solidarity with troops fighting a full-scale invasion by Russian forces.
Mr Zelenskyy again opted against a suit and tie.
But his presence in Italy allowed him to meet up with Trump to clear the air and discuss a potential deal between Russia and Ukraine that could lead to a ceasefire.
A surprise meeting between tense allies
While the funeral was underway, officials from the US and Ukrainian governments revealed that Trump and Zelenskyy had already met.
Trump and Zelenskyy had a meeting before the Pope’s funeral. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via Reuters)
The White House called the 15-minute meeting inside St. Peter’s Basilica “productive”, and Zelenskyy’s office described it as “constructive”, but neither would reveal more.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were also shown standing in a tight huddle with the leaders before they went to the funeral.
The meeting comes after a tense and chaotic encounter in the Oval Office in March. (Reuters: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service)
It comes just a day after Trump said Russia and Ukraine were “very close to a deal”, following negotiations in Moscow.
Ukraine was not represented at the meeting, and the country is under pressure to make concessions in pursuit of a ceasefire.
One such concession would be essentially granting Russia all the territory it has gained in the war, including Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
Once the leaders joined the rest of the mourners in the square, they were seated far away from each other.
But this wasn’t about keeping frenemies apart. Seating arrangements were organised in French alphabetical order.
Royals were among the mourners
The heir to the British throne, Prince William, attended the funeral solo. It’s school holidays in Britain, so Catherine, Princess of Wales, stayed home with the kids.
William went in place of his father, King Charles III, who met with Pope Francis during his tour of Italy earlier this month.
Prince William attended the funeral in his father’s place, in keeping with a British tradition to send heirs instead of monarchs. (Getty Images: Antonio Masiello)
It’s a tradition for British monarchs to skip funerals on foreign soil, usually sending their heirs in their place.
It’s such a strict tradition that when he was still the Prince of Wales, Charles had to delay his wedding to his future Queen Camilla by a day to attend Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005.
Other royals among the mourners included Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia.
The King and Queen of Spain, Felipe and Letizia, were among the mourners. (Getty: Antonio Masiello)
Letizia is part of an exclusive club called privilège du blanc, which means “the privilege of the white”.
All women who meet the pope are asked to wear black. But seven female royals, including Queen Letizia, instead are encouraged to wear white.
All members of privilège du blanc are Catholic, among them, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, and Princess Marina of Naples.
For funerals though, these Catholic royals dress like everyone else — in dark colours, with low heels, and minimal jewellery.
The funeral crowds were both joyful and solemn
There was an outpouring of grief and sorrow for Pope Francis.
But among the prayer and reflection, who would have thought a funeral could also be so joyful?
Without cheapening what is ultimately a solemn occasion, among the crowd in St Peter’s Square, there was an air of excitement and anticipation about what was to come.
Huge crowds of mourners gathered in Vatican City for the funeral of Pope Francis. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Large crowds streamed in early in the day, with many people even camping outside Vatican City on Friday night to make sure they got in.
Helena Tutoe is among a group that travelled from Cairns to be part of the church’s jubilee year celebrations.
“Pope Francis has given us an example and it’s now our turn to live his legacy,” says Australian Helena Tutoe. (ABC News: Riley Stuart)
Her travelling party was also in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
That the Pope died the next day, and that her group has been able to attend the funeral, had a profound impact on her.
“Pope Francis has given us an example and it’s now our turn to live his legacy, through love, compassion and service, especially to the poor and those who are marginalised,” she said.
As many as 200,000 people gathered in Vatican City to watch the funeral. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
While the sense of occasion was respected, many among the large crowd in St Peter’s Square snapped selfies and embraced in the hours leading up to the funeral, and quite clearly couldn’t believe they were there.
For a man of the people like Pope Francis, it was a fitting farewell — a mixture of tradition, faith and joy.
Aussie Cardinal ‘nervous’ for conclave
Spare a thought for Mykola Bychok next week.
While the exact dates of the conclave are yet to be announced, the Ukrainian-born Melbourne bishop will be among those in the Sistine Chapel trying to pick the next pope.
Australia’s only cardinal has only held the title since December. He arrived in Vatican City on Friday and said he was “nervous”.
Mykola Bychok says he’s “nervous” to take part in the conclave. (ABC News: Adrian Wilson)
“It is human that I’m nervous. If you are not nervous, you are not human,” the 45-year-old said.
“On the one hand I’m nervous but on the other hand, I’m completely in peace and hope.
“To be a young Cardinal is a huge responsibility but actually God called me for Pope Francis.”
Cardinals from around the world will head into the conclave no sooner than 15 days after the Pope’s death to choose a new leader for the Catholic Church.
All those aged under 80 can vote.
The process can take weeks, although recently, it’s been much shorter than that l — sometimes only a day or so.
A new pope will be elected in the coming weeks. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
