A Calm but tender The moment pierced the formal rigor of the Vatican protocol yesterday (April 23) when A nun came out of the line– Literally and figuratively – to stay next to the coffin of Pope Francis, lingering in silent farewells while others were moving.
The image of the elderly nun sobbing by looking at the late pontiff one last time has become viral, many being affected and curious about the devotion of the woman to Francis.
- Nun cries on the coffin of Pope Francis, revealing a friendship of several decades.
- The sister would have obtained a special authorization to approach the coffin.
- Pope and sister Jeanningros shared a mission helping marginalized communities.
- Their link started when Francis was Archbishop Bergoglio in Buenos Aires.
Now the identity behind the moving gesture has been identifiedrevealing A Friendship of several decades forged in shared pain and transcending hierarchy and formality.
“It’s a real pain,” wrote a spectator when he saw the video of the nun cry. “It’s a historic moment.”
A nun, identified as one of the greatest friends of Pope Francis, moved the hearts of Internet users after leaving the line to cry the pontiff in silence
Image credits: Franco Orignia / Getty
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died on Monday April 21 of Easter at the age of 88, after a stroke, confirmed the Vatican. While the world was crying, more than 48,000 people visited the Saint-Pierre basilica within 24 hours to pay tribute.
Among the cardinals, the bishops, the clerics and the faithful who were in line were a woman who walked quietly, positioning herself next to the strings that marked the border of the coffin – an act that many believed constituted a rupture of protocol.
Image credits: Europa Press TV / Vatican Media
The woman in question was sister Geneviève Jeanningros. An 81 -year -old nun of the order of the little sisters of Jesus. From the French birth and the Argentinian origin, she was not only a spiritual worker but a personal friend of the Pope.
Image credits: Europa Press TV / Vatican Media
Their link, forged over more than 40 years, was reinforced by their shared mission and their mutual respect. Jeanningros, just like Pope Francis, would have devoted his life to providing advice and support to marginalized and less wealthy, including members of the LGBT +community.
Pope Francis, being the son of Italian immigrants in Argentina, was also deeply empathetic towards a less known aspect of Jeanningros’s life – it is the niece of Léonie Duquet, a French nun that was captured and murdered by the military dictatorship of Argentina.
Their friendship was forged In their dedication common to groups, often deemed marginalized by the Church
Geneviève Jeanningros, La Monja Amiga del Papa, Llora ante su féretro https://t.co/a1aj2ofykipic.twitter.com/rvik1ugy40
– Europa Press TV (@europapress_tv) April 23, 2025
Their friendship began when Pope Francis was known as Archbishop Bergoglio de Buenos Aires. Units by their work among the poor and marginalized, they have built a relationship rooted in compassion.
“Francis was a real shepherd,” said Sister Jeanningros, expressing his admiration for the dedication of the deceased pontiff to take care of “injured sheep”.
Pope Francis, on the other hand, affectionately called him “the terrible child” in reference to his tenacious and courageous dedication to help those who have been neglected.
Image credits: Dicastery for communication / awareness
Sister Jeanningros spent more than five decades to serve the most marginalized populations in Rome, including the homeless, circus workers, oppressed artists and transgender people.
Alongside the nonne Anna Amelia Giachetto, they live in a humble caravan where they share meals and difficulties and offer comfort to those they serve.
Image credits: Vatican Pool / Getty
Thanks to her work, she helped bring Pope Francis closer to the groups that some considered that the Church is forgotten. The reports indicate that she was used to escorting groups of individuals socially excluded to the general public of the Vatican without fault, where the pontiff would welcome and invite them to have lunch.
Sister Jeanningros used to visit the pope every Wednesday – this visit this week would be her last
Image credits: Andrea Connohia / Outreach
The sister and the pope loved the circus, believing in her power to bring an essential respite to the hearts of people.
In July 2024, they visited an amusement park together in Ostia, not only to take advantage of the festivities but also to bless a statue of the “Virgin Protector of the Traveling Show and Circus”.
Na audiência hoje com #PapAfranciscoDa união nacional de atrações itinerant, estava ir. Geneviève Jeanningros: Ela Comimorou junto com o # Pontírave Seus 80 anos, CARCA of 50 deles vididos tont dentro of um parque of various no Litoral Romano, wave leva adiant a sua missão #Unavpic.twitter.com/skkrso58y
– Vatican news (@vaticannews_pt) March 20, 2023
Sister’s lonely silhouette Jeanningros stopped next to Francis’s coffin, wearing a simple green backpack on his shoulder, moving people around the world, in particular those who admired what his papacy represented: love in action and courage in the face of the Convention.
While some people online labeled its action in violation of the protocol, the reports suggest that Sister Jeanningros had received a silent approval from the protocol managers to approach the coffin – an exception granted not to a dignitary but to a friend.
Image credits: Roman Catholic diocese of San Diego
His work has encapsulated the essence of the Pontificate of Francis, a based on proximity, inclusion and a church which kneels in front of the broken heart instead of correcting them.
“She approached her friend as she did both on Wednesday,” said a user. “However, this meeting turned out to be different. She arrived to say goodbye, hoping to see him again in eternal life.”
“It’s love.” Internet users were moved by the silent gesture of the nun
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