Pope Francis funeral - special episode

Summary

Global News Podcast Special Episode Summary: The Funeral of Pope Francis

Release Date: April 26, 2025
Host: Rachel Wright
Produced by: BBC World Service

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Introduction

On April 26, 2025, the BBC World Service's Global News Podcast aired a special edition commemorating the funeral of Pope Francis, the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church. Hosted by Rachel Wright, the episode delved into the solemn ceremony held at St. Peter's Square, the global reactions, and reflections on Pope Francis's impactful papacy.

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Ceremony Overview

St. Peter's Square Under the Sun

The funeral, attended by dignitaries from 130 countries, was a blend of simplicity and grandeur, aligning with Pope Francis's wishes for a modest ceremony. Despite the Pope's preference, the event was described as "spectacular," featuring clergy in red and purple robes, traditional attire from various nations, and uplifting music under clear blue skies (Rachel Wright, [00:53]).

Mass and Homily

The Mass, lasting nearly two hours, was led by a cardinal who highlighted Pope Francis's life and legacy. The homily emphasized the Pope's dedication to building bridges rather than walls, a recurring theme in his papacy. Notably, Cardinal Batista De Ray quoted Francis's call for inclusivity and compassion, reflecting on his efforts to comfort and empower the marginalized ([12:17]).

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Global Attendance and Reactions

World Leaders and Diplomatic Nuances

The funeral was a significant gathering of world leaders, some of whom had contentious relationships with Pope Francis. For instance, former President Donald Trump attended despite past disagreements over immigration policies. The presence of leaders like Ukraine's President Zelensky and Russia's Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova underscored the event's diplomatic complexity ([05:52]).

Notable Interactions

Amidst potential tensions, subtle diplomatic gestures were observed. Notably, Donald Trump was seen meeting with President Zelensky shortly before the funeral, signaling a moment of reconciliation. This meeting, less than two months after a public fallout, was described as "constructive" and "symbolic" by President Zelensky ([07:47]).

Public and Faithful Participation

Massive crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square and beyond, witnessing the funeral both in person and via giant screens. Correspondent Mariam Mashiri reported on the emotional responses of attendees, including heartfelt claps, prayers, and expressions of gratitude toward Pope Francis ([09:12]).

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Personal Tributes and Reflections

Voices from the Faithful

Individuals like Emiliano shared personal connections with Pope Francis, emphasizing his compassion and commitment to the underprivileged. "We hope that the words and actions of Pope Francis will remain in the minds of the people," Emiliano stated ([09:58]). Alessandro Adike, founder of a charity for the homeless, highlighted the Pope's enduring legacy as the "Pope of the street," reflecting his dedication to the marginalized ([21:05]).

Clergy Insights

Father Mattia Ferrari, a chaplain involved in migrant rescue, recounted Pope Francis's hands-on approach and unwavering support for refugees and migrants. "He taught us to love not just with his words, but also with his behaviors," Ferrari remarked, underscoring the Pope's embodiment of the Gospel's values ([12:47]).

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Regional Perspectives

Africa's Connection

Emery Mcumeno in Kinshasa detailed Pope Francis's deep ties with Africa, mentioning his significant visits and the continent's large Catholic population. The funeral mass in Congo witnessed thousands paying their respects, demonstrating the Pope's widespread influence ([15:30]).

Philippines' Reflection

Jonathan Head reported from Manila, noting the profound impact of Pope Francis on the Philippine Catholic Church. Despite challenges like political entanglements and declining Mass attendance, the Pope's humility and support for priests advocating for social missions revitalized morale and commitment among the faithful ([17:04]).

Argentina's Farewell

Veronica Spink in Buenos Aires covered the local mass and the symbolic walks to places significant to Pope Francis's life as Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio. While there was initial disappointment over his absence from Argentina during his papacy, the public now recognizes his global citizenship and enduring legacy ([18:43]).

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Burial and Final Tributes

Santa Maria Maggiore: A Choice of the People

In a historic move, Pope Francis is the first pope in a century to be buried outside the Vatican, in the humble Church of Santa Maria Maggiore. This church, known for its association with the homeless, symbolizes the Pope's lifelong commitment to serving the less fortunate. Alessandro Adike explained, "Santa Maria Maggiore is their house. He will always remain the Pope of the street" ([21:05]).

Emotional Goodbyes

The funeral procession featured heartfelt farewells from refugees and the homeless, encapsulating Pope Francis's mission. Leonardo, a refugee from Angola, expressed deep gratitude: "Papa Francesco Losochi... his mission was to work for the poor people. He was a pope for all the people" ([22:00]).

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Conclusion

Rachel Wright concluded the episode by reflecting on the multifaceted nature of Pope Francis's funeral—balancing tradition with personal tributes, and diplomacy with heartfelt remembrance. The ceremony not only honored a beloved spiritual leader but also highlighted his lasting impact on global affairs, interfaith dialogue, and social justice.

Produced by Rebecca Wood | Edited by Karen Martin | Mixed by Craig Kingham

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Transcript

[Rachel Wright]

You're listening to a special edition of the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Rachel Wright, and in this episode, recorded on Saturday 26th April, we are marking the funeral of Pope Francis. The ceremony was attended by leaders and dignitaries from 130 countries. Funeral was simpler than for previous popes, on the wishes of Francis himself. And the cardinal who led the service described how he'd touched the lives of ordinary people.

[Paul Moss]

He gave of himself by comforting and.

[Mark Loewen]

Encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people's hearts.

[Rachel Wright]

We'll bring you a sense of the ceremony itself and report on how the event was followed around the world. The world has been saying Goodbye to the 266th Pope, despite the wishes of Pope Francis for the funeral to be simple. The ceremony was spectacular, with the red and purple garments of the clergy, music and dignitaries from over 130 countries, many of them dressed in their traditional robes. It was held in St Peter's Square under blue skies and the warm spring sunshine. Here's a flavour of the Mass.

[Emiliano]

A.

[Sarah Rainsford]

Reading from the Acts of the Apostles. In those days, Peter opened his mouth and said, truly, I understand that God shows no partiality.

[Paul Moss]

He established direct contact with individuals and peoples eager to be close to everyone, with a marked tension to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalized, the least among us.

[Rachel Wright]

Our correspondent in Rome is Sarah Rainsford.

[Sarah Rainsford]

In part, absolutely beautiful, in parts, extremely simple. It was ecumenical. There were representatives here of multiple faiths. It was also multinational, both in terms of the crowd that surrounds me still here on the streets of the Vatican, and also in terms of those world leaders, of course, who are at the front of the crowd, sitting on those seats close to the coffin of Pope Francis. There was an enormous amount of. Of ritual, of course, in all of this, and a long, long funeral Mass, almost two hours. At the heart of it was a homily that was read by one of the cardinals. And it was a really, I thought, touching and personal account of the life of Pope Francis, the key moments and the sort of spirit of his papacy. But also it did at times become quite political because it refers specifically to the Pope's call for the. For the world to build bridges and not walls, of course, a message that he had previously directed towards Donald Trump. Donald Trump. Then today, sitting in the front row. The Pope and Donald Trump have clashed in the past over the US policy on migration. And it was interesting that, as in the homily, the cardinal talked about the Pope's work, essentially embracing refugees and migrants. There was A lot of applause from those sitting around me here, but generally speaking, you know, they were following this Mass closely. It's a hot, hot day. Lots of people with umbrellas up or hats on to protect them from the sun. And lots of young Catholics here, too, Catholics from all over the world who wanted to be here, to be part of what is a really important day for them and for Catholics everywhere.

[Rachel Wright]

And tell me about the crowds of people that came to the square to watch. Did the logistics go well? I mean, I remember going to a big ceremony in the square and being squashed in the side streets early in the morning before the gates were opening. Is that. Was that your experience?

[Sarah Rainsford]

Yeah, massive, massive logistical operation, but extremely well organized and very, very calm this morning. It was a bit frantic because it was about, about 5:30 to 6:00 this morning when I saw nuns and priests dashing through the side streets of the Vatican to try to get to the front on St. Peter's Square and to bag a place there as far as forward as they possibly could be. But, but basically, you know, this is a really, really large crowd, but extremely, extremely calm, extremely well managed, lots of police, but keeping a low presence. You know, it's no obvious heavy police presence where I was, even though just this big crowd of Catholics here. You know, there are 50 plus heads of state here, as of royal families from various countries.

[Rachel Wright]

Sarah Rainsford in Rome. Well, as well as a religious occasion, this was, of course, a remarkable collection of world leaders all in one place. So some very much at loggerheads. Our Europe regional editor, Paul Moss was watching the ceremony.

[Paul Moss]

There certainly is potential for embarrassment. I mean, in any normal situation, this would be a terrible difficulty for the poor person trying to arrange the seating, trying to make sure that potential enemies weren't sat next to each other. Fortunately, when it comes to papal funerals, there are very strict rules about who sits where. It's according to partly alphabetical order, but also according to whether they're heads of states or politicians. Of course, the most obvious potential for conflict was the fact that President Zelensky was there, but also Russia's Culture Minister, Olga Lyubimova. It's notable, I think, that Russia didn't send a more senior representative. I guess someone like Vladimir Putin and others are actually subject to an international arrest warrant. Also, of course, Donald Trump there, along with his predecessor, Joe Biden, himself a Catholic. We know those two don't get on there. Joe Biden has been the victim of some rather colorful language, should we say, from Donald Trump. But I should say that as well as talking about, you know, the potential for embarrassment, you also have all these leaders together. There's the potential for diplomacy always present. And I was struck that Cardinal Batiste De Ray, in his homily, quoted Pope Francis often repeated words, build bridges, not walls. And we now know that there really was some attempt to do that because it was revealed that, that before the funeral, Donald Trump sat down for a meeting with President Zelensky. There's video footage of the two men meeting and then sitting huddled together. Now, let's bear in mind it's less than two months since they had that terrible bust up in the Oval Office. The White House said this meeting was constructive. And there was even more positive note from President Zelensky. He later tweeted, we discussed a lot, hoping for results on everything. We covered a reliable and lasting peace. He said it was a very symbolic meeting that has the potential to become historic.

[Rachel Wright]

And as well as guests who may not have got on with each other, some were present who weren't too keen on the Pope while he was alive.

[Paul Moss]

Yes, one of the first people I saw arriving was the Argentinian President, Javier Milei. In many ways, of course, an important guess because Pope Francis himself came from Argentina. His first senior post was as bishop of Buenos Aires. Now, President Milei is an arch free market conservative.

[Emiliano]

He.

[Paul Moss]

He certainly had no time for Pope Francis thoughts on poverty, and perhaps Pope Francis ideas that unfettered capitalism was a bad thing. Mr. Mile actually called the Pope at one point an imbecile who promoted communism. Now, he is known for his wild language, but I assume he was on his best behavior today. And then, of course, Donald Trump. Now, he didn't criticize the Pope, but the Pope did criticize his administration, particularly its treatment of immigrants. He called the roundups of immigrants a disgrace. Now, Donald Trump isn't normally exactly tongue tied, but he hasn't said anything back in return. And perhaps, like President Milei, he'll be on best behavior and won't have been saying anything negative about the Pope today.

[Rachel Wright]

Paul Moss, as well as the dozens of heads of state and royal guests attending the outdoor service. Homeless people, migrants and prisoners were also invited. At the request of the late Pope, Giant screens were set up to allow the faithful to watch. Our colleague Mariam Mashiri was among them.

[Mariam Mashiri]

Well, it was quite an experience watching that funeral ceremony with the crowd here in St. Peter's Square. There were moments when the crowd clapped and cheered. There were moments where people cried. There were moments when people got on their knees and they prayed. Some priests came along the crowd as well and gave the Eucharist during that ceremony too. It was very emotional and highly charged and at one point you could see people shouting out grazia, Francesco, thank you, Francis. As they carried the coffin back into St. Peter's Square. Well, I found some people who watched the funeral service with us and here we have Emiliano and Agnese. Emiliano, you are from Rome. How was the funeral? What did you feel when you stood here watching it?

[Emiliano]

We used to meet many times with Pope, so it's a very big loss for us. And yeah, we hope all the best, of course, because we really hope that the words, the sentences that Pope Francisco said and in the past will remain in the mind of the people. So I hope really this.

[Mariam Mashiri]

Thank you very much, Emiliano and Anglaise and Izzy, thank you very much. And here we have a big group of young scouts who've come all the way from Parma. Hello, everyone. I'm going to speak to you. Alessandro, you've been volunteer to speak to me. Why are you here?

[Emiliano]

Yeah, we all feel sad, but it's time to. Today is the day that we look at the future and we think what to do in the future to bring his message even after his death.

[Mariam Mashiri]

Alessandro, thank you so much. And thank you all of you for waiting so patiently to speak to us. I'm also joined here by a couple of of nuns who come all the way from Nigeria. Sister Beatrice and Sister Lucy, thank you so much for staying and talking to us. And I saw you earlier, Sister Beatrice, you were so emotional, weren't you?

[Emiliano]

Yeah, I was. For me, the loss of Papa Francis is a great loss. Yeah. Because in him I saw a man, a holy man, who loved the lowly, the simple, the needy especially. He is a man of peace and he accepts everybody, no matter the race, the language, where you come from. So for me, we've lost a great man and I pray that whomever we are choosing as a nice will also take up the legacy he has laid for the Church.

[Rachel Wright]

Some of the thousands of people who watched today's ceremony in St. Peter's Square. As we've been hearing, one of the key themes in the homily read by Cardinal Batista, Ray, was the Pope's work to serve refugees and migrants around the world. Our correspondent in Rome, Mark Loewen, has been telling us more.

[Mark Loewen]

There was reference to the fact that Pope Francis first visit outside Rome in 2013, shortly after his election, was to the Italian island of Lamp, very much on the front line of the migrant arrival that got a round of applause. And so migration was very much at the center of today's proceedings. I spoke to Father Mattia Ferrari, who is a chaplain who works on a boat, a migrant rescue boat for migrants. And he also works at a squat here in Rome that welcomes migrants. And I asked him for his memories of Pope Francis.

[Emiliano]

What we remember especially from him, is that he taught us to love not just with his words, but also with his behaviors. His vision was the vision of the Gospel. That means that poor and migrants have a special place in the heart of God and that they are special brother and sister. Fraternity is not just a spiritual value. Fraternity is a political value.

[Mark Loewen]

Talk to me a little bit about when you met him.

[Emiliano]

I met him in 2017, and our strong relationship began in 2023.

[Mark Loewen]

Tell us what he was like in person.

[Emiliano]

It was very similar to the person you could see in television. Very, very sweet person. And also his way to. To look at people, to watch people, to watch your eyes, especially to understand the suffering and the hopes of the people.

[Mark Loewen]

Do you feel with his passing that you now have an absence in that way?

[Emiliano]

Of course. We are Christian. We believe in Jesus. We believe in resurrection. Of course, we know that Pope Penis is with us, but he is not on the earth. That's why we will miss his presence and his love. But we will not miss the presence and the support of the church, because the church will continue this path.

[Mark Loewen]

And you will miss a personal friend.

[Emiliano]

A father and an elder brother.

[Rachel Wright]

And, Mark, you also spent a lot of time with Pope Francis as Rome correspondent. I believe you even went to Iraq with him. Tell us about that.

[Mark Loewen]

I did. I went on his papal trip to Iraq in 2021, which was one of the most audacious of his 45 international trips, because he was going to a country that was still war torn, that still has security issues. He later said that there were a couple of attempted suicide attacks on the papal convoy that had been foiled by security services before he arrived. It was in the middle of the COVID pandemic, but he was absolutely determined to go to Iraq, the first papal visit there ever. And also a sign of how he wanted to go to the peripheries of the Catholic faith to revive small Catholic populations and also to reach out to other faiths. And that was very much also a hallmark of his papacy.

[Rachel Wright]

Mark Loen in Rome. Well, Africa was a continent close to Pope Francis heart. He made five trips throughout his papacy and visited 10 countries there, including the Democratic Republic of Congo. We spoke to our correspondent in the capital Kinshasa. Emery mcumeno Pope Francis was here at.

[Emiliano]

Notre Dame de Congo exactly on the 2nd of February 2020 23. And during his visit here, he met with the consecrated, the nuns and the priests and they had a special Mass only with them. And here I have about 200 plus people who have come to attend the last moment as they are seeing the coffin taken away from the ceremonial place. Africa has at least 2,81 million Catholics and DRC happens to be the one with the largest number, about 55 million. It's the number one in the continent. What the church statistics say is that the number of believers is increasing quite a lot. It's not the same with the number of consecrated priests and nuns. The call is not increasing that much. But of course, one out of five people or Catholics are believed to be Africa.

[Rachel Wright]

Emery Macumeno who was at the Catholic Cathedral in Kinshasa whilst the congregation was watching the funeral. There's also a very large Catholic population in the Philippines. Pope Francis visited the country in 2015, one of three pontiffs to do so, and had an enormous influence on the Catholic Church. As we heard from Jonathan Head, who was at a church service in the capital Manila.

[Mark Loewen]

The church here is very established. Nearly 80% of Filipinos follow it officially. And yet it has challenges. It's been caught up in politics, it's been accused of getting too close to those in power in the past, it's been losing converts to newer charismatic Christian sects and attendance at Mass has been falling. So many of the priests have talked about how Pope Francis is sort of very down to earth grounded approach to spreading the word and in his natural way with people, his sense of humor, his humility have really helped them to re establish a bit more morale and momentum in the church and to try to reverse those trends. He very much supported those priests who believe in a social mission. And the Philippines is a Latin country, very strong Spanish influence and a lot of priests have been influenced by liberation theology. There's also grinding poverty, huge inequality here, lots of injustices. Those priests who've always argued the church should be very active on those issues have felt empowered by Pope Francis.

[Rachel Wright]

Jonathan Head in Manila as we record this podcast, people in the Pope's home country of Argentina are preparing to say farewell to him with a Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires. Francis was Archbishop of the city before accepting the Papacy in 2013. Joining me on the global news podcast live from the Mass is Veronica Spink from BBC Mundo. Veronica, tell us what's happening There.

[Veronica Spink]

Well, a mass is on the way here to celebrate the life of Pope Francis. And after the Mass, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires has invited people to walk around the city to the places where Francis used to go when he was Jorge Bergoglio. He was the archbishop for 15 years until he left in 2013 at age 76, never to return. The idea is for people to go to the places where he used to go. They're going to stop at the hospital, they're going to stop at a soup kitchen, even a jail. These are all the places that the Pope used to visit when he was archbishop here.

[Rachel Wright]

And how have people in Argentina been reacting to the death of Pope Francis over the past week?

[Veronica Spink]

Well, many here remembering him, like, in a similar way as how he used to live, in a very simple way, a very austere way. Most people going to masses that have been held since Monday, since his death was announced. There has been masses here at the Metropolitan Cathedral, where I am, but also in churches all over the country. Many people today are coming in from all over Buenos Aires, the periphery where he was specially loved, especially in the poor areas.

[Rachel Wright]

And of course, Pope Francis, even though he came from Buenos Aires, he never returned after he became Pope.

[Veronica Spink]

That's right. And that was a bit of an issue. It was contentious. People here wouldn't understand. Many felt very saddened and some even angry by the fact that in 12 years, he never visited Argentina, even though he had gone to four countries surrounding Argentina, neighbor countries. That was a cause of huge disappointment here. But as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires said, many, now that they see how the world has reacted to his death, are finally understanding that Jorge Bergoglio was not just an Argentine, he was a citizen of the world. And, you know, they're allowing Jorge Bergoglio to become Francis.

[Rachel Wright]

Finally, Veronica Spink in Buenos Aires. Thank you very much. Pope Francis is the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in 100 years. He chose instead to be buried in the simple church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which he often prayed in. It's considered to be the church for the homeless, as Nick Robinson has been finding out.

[Emiliano]

My name is Alessandro Adike. I'm the founder of Biner Novante Cinque, a charity that helps homeless people in Rome and in Italy. Around the church, there is the life of people that do not have a house. And for them, Santa Maria Maggiore and the quarter all around. Santa Maria Maggiore is their house. I would say, in some ways, the church of the homeless people. That's why I think he chooses Santa Maria Maggiore. And you know, in this church and we will have so many homeless people waiting for him. And welcoming him is like for me saying, welcome back home in our home. And he's the Pope of the street. And for them he will always remain the Pope of the street.

[Paul Moss]

One of those helped here at this hostel is Leonardo, a refugee from Angola.

[Emiliano]

Papa Francesco Losochi. I know Pope Francis was a very good guy. He was a pope for all the people, also for the poor people. He has worked a lot. His mission was to work for the poor people. But he, the mission hasn't been so long and he is a pope of the underdogs.

[Rachel Wright]

That report by Nick Robinson at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Let's end the podcast with the thoughts of our religion editor, Ali macbool, who's in Rome. So what did he make of the funeral for Pope Francis?

[Paul Moss]

An amazing occasion in many ways, given the. The stage. It was always going to be that while it was marked by the departures. And that's what I was really fascinated by, the departure, certainly through being driven on the popemobile through the streets and having the public having the final goodbye, really being taken to a separate place because popes are usually buried in the crypt here at St. Peter's having the people have an opportunity to say goodbye like that and for a group of homeless of the poor and needy, greet him on the steps of the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica were incredible touches. But of course there was still the ritual, the tradition, the symbolism of everything we had expected. That's not to say that the public around here, and we think around 200,000 people in the streets here, didn't make their presence felt and.

[Rachel Wright]

And participated during Mass Alim McBall at the Vatican. And that's all from this special edition to mark the funeral of Pope Francis. The normal global news podcast will be back later. This edition was mixed by Craig Kingham and the producer was Rebecca Wood. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Rachel Wright. Until next time, goodbye.