Pope Francis ‘who touched minds and hearts’ laid to rest

THOUSANDS of people from across Tyrone tuned in this morning (Saturday) to watch the poignant funeral service of Pope Francis – a church leader who was deeply passionate about ‘building bridges, not walls’.

In the moving two-hour funeral Mass, which took place at St Peter’s Square, the Vatican, leader of the service Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re told mourners that the Pontiff ‘touched minds and hearts’ across the world.

Dozens of world leaders and dignitaries – including Donald Trump, President of the United States; Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine; and Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister – were among the 50,000-strong crowd which packed inside St Peter’s Square.

They joined an estimated 200,000 further mourners lining the streets just outside the square, some of whom shed tears as they held aloft banners with the words ‘Grazie Papa Francesco’.

The ceremony began with the entrance antiphon, a selection of psalm verses or scripture passages that are traditionally sung or recited, and was followed by readings from the Acts of the Apostles and a Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians.

There was silence and a tangible sense of togetherness as the dean of the College of Cardinals, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re then delivered a powerful homily.

“The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days following his passing from this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts,” he said.

Paying homage to Pope Francis’ ‘pastoral leadership’, the cardinal continued, “He was a Pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone.

‘Attentive to the times’

“He was also a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church.”

The cardinal further commemorated the Pope’s work to serve refugees and displaced people, and ‘incessantly raised his voice’ to call for peace when faced with the raging wars of recent years.

“‘War’, Pope Francis said, ‘results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools’,” the cardinal recounted. “‘War always leaves the world worse than it was before: It is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone’.

“‘Build bridges, not walls’,” was something Pope Francis repeated many times”, the cardinal added.

Next on the order of service was the Liturgy of the Eucharist, where bread and wine are consecrated and become the body and blood of Christ before being shared with Communion following.

As the clock struck 11am, the 10-tonne bells of St Peter’s Basilica rang out across Rome to mark the end of the powerful, deeply-emotional service.

Then a sea of solemn voices sang ‘The Litany of the Saints’, a formal prayer of the Roman Catholic Church, as the Pope’s plain zinc-lined wooden coffin was carried through the Basilica one last time.

The coffin was then carefully placed inside the Popemobile to make its final journey to Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica – the eternal resting place of the beloved church leader.