Pope Francis was laid to rest in Rome after a historic funeral that brought together politicians, royalty, and 400,000 mourners.

The Vatican confirmed that Francis has been buried in a niche between the Sforza and Pauline Chapels at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, making him the first pope in more than a century to be laid to rest outside the Vatican walls.

After a solemn yet beautiful Mass, Francis’ mortal remains were carried across the Eternal City to his final resting place. Around 150,000 people lined the streets to bid farewell to the pontiff, who had made a poignant final appearance just a day before his death, waving to the faithful from his popemobile in St. Peter’s Square.

The funeral procession wound through Rome’s ancient heart — past the monument to fallen soldiers in Piazza Venezia, a tribute to a pope who tirelessly championed peace; past the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, where only a week earlier his Via Crucis meditations had condemned the “economy of indifference” and called for an “economy of peace.”

Finally, the cortege reached the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where his coffin was raised toward the crowd for a final public goodbye before being carried inside.

Inside the basilica, the coffin was briefly paused before the revered icon of Mary, Salus Populi Romani, to whom Francis had a deep devotion. The Rite of Burial, presided over by the Cardinal Camerlengo according to the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, began at 1:00 pm and concluded by 1:30 pm, attended by family members and close associates of the late Pope.

Earlier, according to Italy’s interior ministry, some 400,000 mourners had filled St. Peter’s Square and the surrounding streets to honour Francis. Applause rang out as his coffin, inlaid with a cross, was carried by 14 white-gloved pallbearers into the sunlit square for the funeral Mass, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

Leaders and dignitaries from over 150 countries attended, including U.S. President Donald Trump — whose relations with Francis had often been tense — and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who received a warm ovation from the crowd. Also present were members of Europe’s royal families and the presidents of Argentina, France, Germany, Poland, Gabon, and the Philippines.

In the three days leading up to the funeral, approximately 250,000 people filed past Pope Francis’ body, laid out before the high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, paying their respects to a pope remembered for his humility, compassion, and advocacy for the poor, migrants, and environmental stewardship.

Francis, the first non-European pontiff in over 1,300 years, died aged 88 after suffering a stroke.

As Francis is laid to rest, attention now turns to the future of the Church. The secretive conclave to elect his successor is unlikely to begin before May 6, giving cardinals time for informal meetings to assess one another and consider how to steer the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church through a period of deep ideological divisions and financial challenges. Editorial Desk, Capital News