Journalism of Courage
Pope Francis was laid to rest in Rome at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, which lies outside the Vatican, after solemn funeral rites at St Peter’s Square. (AP Photo)
True to his wishes, Francis was not buried beneath St Peter’s Basilica, but entombed in a modest niche at Santa Maria Maggiore that once stored candlestick holders. (AP Photo)
Under sunny skies, tens of thousands packed St Peter’s Square early, with unprecedented security involving over 4,000 officers, soldiers, and even a torpedo ship off the coast. (AP Photo)
Francis’ wooden coffin, inlaid with a large cross, was carried by 14 pallbearers through the basilica’s main doors amid applause and cheers. (AP Photo)
Leaders from over 150 countries were in attendance, including US President Trump, UK PM Keir Starmer, Indian President Droupadi Murmu, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy among others. (AP Photo)
The 90-minute Mass was celebrated by 220 cardinals, 750 bishops, and more than 4,000 priests, with over 2,000 journalists covering the historic ceremony. (AP Photo)
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who led the funeral, praised Francis as a relentless advocate for peace, human dignity, and the rights of refugees and displaced people. (AP Photo)
Over three days of the pope' lying-in-state, more than 250,000 people queued to pay their final respects as Francis’ body lay in state inside St Peter’s Basilica. (AP Photo)
After the funeral, Francis’s coffin was taken through a stretch of four kilometres covering Rome’s center before reaching St Mary Major Basilica for private burial rites. (AP Photo)
As mourning begins, attention turns to the next conclave, expected after May 5, with no clear frontrunner yet among potential successors to the Pope. (AP Photo)
