Ivan Mastrosimone, a Sicily Scout leader, said that he had traveled by bus for 12 hours to see the funeral, saying that it was his “duty” to come because of the Pope’s energetic position on climate change.
Christian Wahl, a director of German logistics sporting a Panama hat and waving a German flag, said that the participation rate reflected the popularity of the Pope compared to his German predecessor, Benedict XVI, a reserved theologian who died in 2022 after a resignation of shock in 2013.
“I came for Benedict’s funeral too, but there are more people here,” said Wahl. “Francis is more popular even in Germany because he showed us that he was not above us, we are all equal. Benoît was not as close to the people,” he said.
“I respected Francis – whenever he spoke, he called peace,” said Wahl.
An illustration of Francis’ style was obvious in his burial way. While there was a part of the usual ornate pump of ancient tradition, with black oscillation bearers, clothes decorated with gold and a sea of cardinals in the shape of red, the funeral centered on the ordinary wooden coffin of Francis, a departure from the previous papal burials featuring restoration coffins made of cypress, lead and oak.
After the funeral mass, the coffin was transferred via the Popemobile in the heart of Rome, where Francis was buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the four large papal basilicas and a favorite of Francis for her dedication to Mary, the mother of Jesus and her proximity to the private district of Esquilino.
