Pope Francis Requested The Final People To Bid Him Farewell Are Migrants, Trans People, Prisoners And Homeless People
During his 12-year papacy, Francis consistently called for an “open church, a welcoming church, able to become close to each person and to heal the wounds of those who suffer.”
Pope Francis requested that the last people to bid him farewell at his funeral be a group of poor and marginalized people, including migrants, trans people and prisoners, to whom he dedicated much of his life and service.
Francis died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday on April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta after a prolonged illness, and his funeral was held on Saturday, April 26.
On the day, more than 250,000 people stood for hours in line to pay their final respects at St. Peter’s Square, with more than 150,000 others lining the route to St. Mary Major to catch a glimpse of the Pope’s funeral, according to AP.
While world leaders and royalty attended the funeral, the Pope wanted the most marginalized, the most vulnerable people in society to not to be just part of his final moments but to be central at his funeral.
At the end of his funeral mass, a group of about 40 people, including poor people, the homeless, migrants, prisoners and transgender people, gathered on the steps of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome to be the last people to bid farewell to the pope, the Vatican News reported.
Each person held a single white rose as they paid their last respects per his wishes.
Most of the 40 people had met the pope personally during his lifetime at least once, and some, such as the transgender group, were supported by communities of nuns, according to Vatican News.
Francis chose the papal name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, the “Poor Man of Assisi,” as the sentiment, “the poor hold a privileged place in God’s heart,” was the heart of his teachings.
In line with his work, Francis organized his own funeral in 2024, when he revised and simplified the Vatican’s rites and rituals, according to the AP.
During his 12-year papacy, Francis consistently called for an “open church, a welcoming church, able to become close to each person and to heal the wounds of those who suffer,” reaching out to marginalized groups, including including women in influential meetings of bishops and traveling to often-forgotten countries to push for peace and improve relations.
He openly welcomed and included LGBTQ people in the Catholic church and encouraged the creation of spaces where marginalized people could find hope and community.
Bishop Ambarus, who helped organize the farewell, said the farewell was ”truly beautiful.”
“Pope Francis is being received by the Mother he loved so much (Virgin Mary) and by his favorite children, who will surround him on this final journey,” he said.
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