Pope Francis’ coffin was carried out of St Peter’s Basilica and into St Peter’s Square today, marking the beginning of his final farewell. Departing from centuries of tradition, the beloved leader of the Catholic Church will be laid to rest in a simple wooden casket, a decision that perfectly embodies the humility and compassion he displayed throughout his life.
Unlike his predecessors, who were typically buried in three coffins, Pope Francis requested to be entombed in just one. This gesture is a final testament to his consistent message of simplicity, humanity, and solidarity with the marginalized. Throughout his papacy, he became a powerful voice for refugees, the poor, and those often overlooked by society.
Pope Francis’ approach to leadership was profoundly different. He chose to live modestly, often urging the Church to become a “poor Church for the poor.” His actions matched his words visiting war-torn regions, washing the feet of refugees and prisoners, and constantly reminding the world of the dignity and worth of every human being.
For many, the Pope’s compassion was not just symbolic but deeply personal. Cedric Musau Kasongo, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo who met the Pope in 2023, recalled the significance of that encounter. “Sometimes foreign people are invisible,” Kasongo said. “To be in front of the Pope, to greet him, to hold his hand, for me it was a great gesture. I felt even more welcomed, seen, and heard.”
Today’s funeral proceedings, stripped of excessive grandeur, reflect Pope Francis’ enduring legacy: a Church more open, more compassionate, and more in tune with the struggles of ordinary people. As the simple casket is lowered into its final resting place, it carries not just the body of a leader, but the spirit of a man who sought to lift up those on the margins and redefine what it means to serve.
In death, as in life, Pope Francis leaves behind a profound message that true greatness lies in humility, and that the smallest gestures of compassion can change the world.
