The Emotional Testimonies of the Faithful Who Said Their Final Goodbye to Pope Francis at the Vatican
Latin Americans from Argentina, Mexico, and other countries highlighted Francis’s humility, reforms, and legacy of closeness on the eve of the funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica.
More than 200,000 faithful have passed before the remains of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican to pay their final respects, according to Church authorities. The event initially coincided with the Jubilee of Adolescents, but after the pontiff’s death, the celebration was modified to include a second requiem mass.
Latin American faithful who had traveled from different parts of Latin America took part in the ceremonies. Among them was a group of young Argentinians living in Rome, who wore Argentina jerseys and expressed their sorrow at the loss. Agustín and Marco, two of the young men, said they arrived in line at 5:00 a.m. to say goodbye. “It was a huge shock for us and for the world as well,” Agustín told a Vatican News reporter.
“We Argentinians, who have such a strong connection, waking up to the news that the Pope had died was truly overwhelming, overwhelming, because we knew he was not well, but we didn’t expect this to happen so soon,” he added.
The young men emphasized humility and greatness as Francis’s main qualities. “He was a person with a huge heart. A person who changed laws for the better,” they said.
From Mexico, César, another faithful attendee, expressed his sadness after traveling with the hope of attending a papal audience for his daughter’s baptism. “It was a tragic event,” he told the Vatican’s official news portal. César also praised the reforms promoted during Francis’s pontificate, such as changes in the administration of benefits to cardinals and the push for greater equality within the Church.
“He was working very hard on Church matters, many transformations—the issue of same-sex marriages, the issue of inequalities within the Church, and above all, the issue concerning children,” he added. “We hope the Church continues in that direction.”
During interviews conducted by the Vatican’s news agency, the faithful repeatedly highlighted Pope Francis as a symbol of humility, integrity, and closeness to the people—qualities they said will leave a deep mark on the history of the Catholic Church.
The funeral, scheduled for Saturday, is expected to draw an even larger crowd, as the faithful have announced their intention to arrive from the early hours of the day to bid farewell to the first Latin American pontiff, whose death marks the end of an era of reform and pastoral closeness.
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