A Quarter-Million Mourners Honor Pope Francis During Three-Day Vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica

Nearly 250,000 mourners gathered at St. Peter’s Basilica over three days to pay their final respects to Pope Francis. Visitors from around the world braved long lines and cold weather during the public viewing, held ahead of his funeral at the Vatican. The viewing offered a rare and solemn moment for the global Catholic community, as many attendees described the event as deeply spiritual and historic.

The funeral, presided over by Pope Francis himself due to current Vatican tradition, took place in St. Peter’s Square—an unprecedented moment in modern papal history, where a sitting pope led funeral rites for his immediate predecessor. The viewing and funeral attracted not only religious pilgrims but also dignitaries and heads of state, underscoring Pope Francis’s influence on global faith and geopolitics.

The atmosphere in Rome was both reverent and historic, with pilgrims leaving flowers, rosaries, and written prayers. Vatican officials reported smooth logistics and praised the efforts of church staff and local security. This farewell underscores Pope Francis’s enduring impact on billions of followers and cements his role as one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the 21st century.