VATICAN CITY. Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, was reportedly thankful that he was able to greet a crowd of 50,000 faithful in St. Peter’s Square during Easter, despite initial doubts about his physical condition, Vatican News reported.
The beloved Argentine pontiff, who had been recovering from a five-week hospitalization due to pneumonia, made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday. Riding in his popemobile around St. Peter’s Square, he blessed the crowd and reached out to touch the hands of children and pilgrims, his first interaction with the public since leaving the hospital.
According to Vatican News, the pope had hesitated about making the appearance, asking his personal healthcare assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, “Do you think I can manage it?” Upon receiving reassurance, he proceeded with the ride and afterward told Strappetti, “Thank you for bringing me back to the square.”
The following morning, Pope Francis reportedly began showing signs of illness at around 5:30 a.m. and fell into a coma by 6:30 a.m.
His Easter appearance from the loggia — the same place where he had been introduced as the first Latin American pope on March 13, 2013 — marked a poignant and symbolic closure to his 12-year papacy. Throughout his tenure, he championed reforms aimed at bringing the Church closer to the marginalized and emphasized its mission of compassion and service.
Funeral Arrangements
Pope Francis will lie in state beginning Wednesday at St. Peter’s Basilica, where thousands are expected to pay their final respects. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square and will be celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.
Among the international dignitaries expected to attend are U.S. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Argentine President Javier Milei.
In line with Church protocol, the conclave to elect Francis’ successor is set to begin between May 5 and 10.
Tributes from Vatican Officials
“He truly gave everything he had, up to the end,” said Sister Nathalie Becquart, one of the highest-ranking women in the Vatican. Recalling his last public moment, she added, “He really walked with his people.”
Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, former head of the Vatican’s Council for Culture, highlighted Francis’ enduring legacy in promoting the role of women within the Church. He emphasized the pope’s final wish to be buried not beneath St. Peter’s Basilica as tradition dictates, but at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, close to his favorite icon of the Madonna, Salus Populi Romani.
“He wanted to be buried under the shadow of a woman, in this case Maria,” said Ravasi. “That is significant, his desire for the church to do more for women.”
Images released Tuesday show the late pope in red vestments and a bishop’s miter, resting peacefully in a wooden casket inside the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta residence, where he lived and died.
Pope Francis’ final wish, stated in his will, was to rest eternally beneath the Byzantine-style image of the Virgin Mary, an icon he visited before and after every foreign trip. On March 23, just after being released from Gemelli Hospital, he made a final stop at the basilica to leave flowers and returned once more on April 12 to pray.
As tributes pour in from around the world, the memory of Pope Francis’ final blessing on Easter Sunday stands as a testament to a life lived in humble service and a papacy that forever changed the Church.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
