As it happened: Coffin of Pope Francis sealed after 250,000 pay homage to head of Catholic Church
Pope Francis’s coffin was sealed after a quarter of million people visited the late spiritual leader, as heads of state fly in to attend Saturday’s ceremony in St Peter’s Square
The coffin of Pope Francis has been sealed in a private ceremony held by the Vatican ahead of Saturday’s funeral after 250,000 people farewelled the pontiff this week as he lay in state.
Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell presided at the Rite of Sealing of the Coffin, which was attended by several Cardinals and Holy See officials.
Controversy was also stirred after a retired US cardinal who has faced accusations of mishandling sexual abuse cases was chosen to help seal the coffin and entomb the pontiff’s remains during the burial rites.
Advocates for Catholic clergy sexual abuse victims criticised the appointment of Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011, for the ceremonial role at the Pope’s funeral. Mahony denies any wrongdoing.
World leaders are flying in ahead of the ceremony in St Peter’s Square, with US president Donald Trump among the heads of state attending. Before departing Washington, Trump told reports Pope Francis was a “good man” who “loved the world”.
While Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was also among those due to attend, he cast doubt on his plans on Friday evening due to the ongoing war with Russia, which is also sending a dignitary to the funeral.
Security arrangements ahead of the major event include snipers stationed on rooftops, and fighter jets on standby. Streets surrounding the Vatican are under strict control, with law enforcement agencies coordinating to manage the expected influx of hundreds of thousands of mourners.
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Catholics remember Pope Francis as a friend of Africa
Central African Republic’s capital had been torn apart by inter-religious violence leading up to Pope Francis’ 2015 visit, its streets haunted by fear and division.
Yet, there was the open-air popemobile driving through a Muslim-majority neighborhood of Bangui, a zone off-limits to Christians, with the pope crossing a line many feared amid a years-long civil war.
An imam at his side, Francis removed his shoes, bowed his head and entered a mosque, imploring people to “say ‘no’ to hatred, vengeance and violence, especially that committed in the name of a religion or God”.
The episode is being recalled by Catholics as they weigh the pontiff’s legacy throughout Africa, a continent where the faith is growing rapidly and where, unlike Francis, the priesthood leans deeply conservative.
Priests and parishioners who spoke to The Associated Press from Morocco to South Africa remembered Francis' commitment to the marginalized, including victims of violence, poverty or the enduring structures borne from colonialism.
“Christians and Muslims who used to stare at each other were reconciled,” Ella Carine Kossingou, a Bangui resident, said of Francis' visit. “I’m not Catholic, but I won’t forget his presence in our country.”
Sam Metz and Jean-Fernand Koena have more in this report:
Catholics remember Pope Francis as a friend of Africa, with some setting theology aside
Bishop describes ‘lots of tears’ at Vatican after Pope Francis’ death
A bishop at the Vatican has told of the tears shed among colleagues for Pope Francis, and a sense of “national pride” for Irish people that a Dublin man is overseeing arrangements until a new pontiff is elected.
Bishop Paul Tighe, who has been based at the Vatican for 17 years, said while Francis had been unwell, there was still a sense of shock about his death on Easter Monday, followed by a “madness” as people were “scattering to get back from wherever they were” over the holiday weekend.
While “the machine has kicked in fairly quickly” in terms of preparations for what comes next, there was still a sense of real loss among those in the Vatican for a man dubbed the people’s pope, he told the PA news agency.
The 67-year-old said: “The first emotion for most people is probably a sense of shock. We kind of knew this was coming, but it's like when an elderly relative dies, you might be waiting but when the moment comes, it’s kind of a shock, and you suddenly realise you’re in a new position.
“In the last few days, I've seen many of my colleagues – we all found a moment to go up and visit the body – lots of tears, not just the stoic ‘let’s move on’. Lots of tears, lots of sadness for so many people.”
Bishop hails late Pope Francis as a voice for peace and justice
Bishop Paul Tighe, who has been based at the Vatican for 17 years, has described the “very poignant” time he had spent with the late Pope Francis’s remains in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta earlier this week before the coffin was moved to St Peter's Basilica.
Asked if it felt like losing a family member, he told the PA news agency that it did “at some level” but added: “It’s also losing your boss. It’s losing the person who set his tone and direction. It’s also losing a person who had recovered enormous credibility for the Church in and through his own person.
“But also, even more, he was a voice for peace and a voice for justice at a time when the world has real need to hear that voice.”
‘I thank God that I was able to see him,’ says mourner
As thousands continue to queue outside St Peter’s Basilica to pay their final respects, Patricio Castriota, a visitor who – like the late Pope – is from Argentina, said: “It’s a very strong feeling [to be here]. This farewell was very sad, but I thank God that I was able to see him.”
“He’s the only pope we’ve had who came from South America, a pope who had many good intentions for the Catholic Church,” said Mr Castriota. “He cleaned up [a lot] of the bad, maybe not all of it, but he tried.”
Northern Ireland's first minister says Pope's legacy continues to inspire millions
Northern Ireland’s first minister Michelle O’Neill has praised Pope Francis’s “unwavering commitment to justice and peace”.
Ms O’Neill has confirmed she will travel to Rome to join leaders from across the world for the pontiff’s funeral on Saturday.
The Sinn Fein vice president, who has cut short a family holiday to attend, said: “I am proud to be attending the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, paying my respects on behalf of everyone at home who cherished his leadership and looked to him as a spiritual and moral guide.
“Pope Francis will be remembered as a leader of deep humility, compassion and courage, with an unwavering commitment to justice and peace. His passing is deeply felt in Ireland and across the world, leaving a legacy that continues to inspire millions.”
Former US president Joe Biden to attend Pope Francis funeral
Former US president Joe Biden and Jill Biden planned to attend the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday, their spokesperson Kelly Scully has said.
Mr Biden, a lifelong Catholic who had met the pope several times, awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January before leaving the White House.
Crying nun who knew Pope Francis breaks protocol at coffin of late Pontiff
Fifty heads of state set to attend Pope's funeral, Vatican says
Donald Trump and Argentine president Javier Milei are among the world leaders and other dignitaries arriving Friday ahead of Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday.
The Vatican said 130 delegations are confirmed, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns.
How Pope Francis’ funeral will be different from those held for predecessors
Pope Francis’s funeral, scheduled for Saturday morning in St Peter’s Square, Rome, is expected to mirror the late pontiff’s humble and reformist papacy.
Breaking with tradition, the ceremony will prioritise simplicity over elaborate displays of grandeur.
More than 50,000 mourners have already visited St Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects, where Francis lies in state in a plain coffin placed close to the basilica floor. This starkly contrasts with the elevated biers used for his predecessors, Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
Mathilde Grandjean reports:
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