VATICAN CITY: Around 200,000 people gathered yesterday to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, the Vatican said.
Italian police earlier estimated the crowd at about 150,000, with roughly 50,000 filling St Peter’s Square alone.
In a heartfelt homily, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re described Pope Francis as “a pope among the people, with an open heart,” praising his efforts to build a more compassionate Catholic Church.
“He established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalised, the least among us,” he said. – AFP
