{"id":117974,"date":"2025-04-26T19:03:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-26T18:03:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=117974"},"modified":"2025-04-26T19:18:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-26T18:18:11","slug":"world-leaders-others-bid-final-farewell-to-pope-francis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/world-leaders-others-bid-final-farewell-to-pope-francis\/","title":{"rendered":"World leaders, others bid final farewell to Pope Francis"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"m#msg-f:1830469301790642818\" class=\"mail-message expanded\">\n<div class=\"mail-message-header spacer\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Myke Agunwa<\/div>\n<div id=\"m#msg-f:1830469301790642818-content\" class=\"mail-message-content collapsible zoom-normal mail-show-images \" style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<div class=\"clear\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div>World leaders, dignitaries, and thousands of mourners are gathered in St. Peter\u2019s Square on Saturday morning to bid a final farewell to Pope Francis, in a historic funeral ceremony.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>As the simple wooden coffin of the late pope was carried into the square under bright skies, applause broke out among the crowd, reflecting the deep affection many felt for the man who led the Catholic Church with humility and compassion for 12 years.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Over 200,000 mourners, including 220 cardinals, 750 bishops, and 4,000 priests are in the Vatican City while millions more are watching the ceremony from around the world from different digital platforms.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, a longtime friend of Francis, is presiding over the Mass. He praised Francis as \u201ca shepherd who walked with his people and showed God\u2019s mercy to the world.\u201d<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Among the attendees are US President Donald Trump, his predecessor, Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Britain\u2019s Prince William, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky including the delegation from Nigeria led by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Many spoke of Francis\u2019 impact on global issues, from his push for peace to his advocacy for the marginalized.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In keeping with his wishes for a modest farewell, Francis will be laid to rest at the Basilica of St. Mary Major instead of the traditional site under St. Peter\u2019s Basilica.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>His 12-year papacy, marked by a call to compassion, care for creation, and attention to society\u2019s most vulnerable, leaves a lasting legacy now being celebrated by the world.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mail-message-footer spacer collapsible\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Myke Agunwa World leaders, dignitaries, and thousands of mourners are gathered in St. Peter\u2019s Square on Saturday morning to bid a final farewell to Pope Francis, in a historic&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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