Africa-Press – Tanzania. In a solemn and deeply emotional ceremony, Pope Francis was laid to rest yesterday at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, located outside the Vatican walls in the heart of Rome.
Vice-President, Dr Philip Mpango led the Tanzanian delegation at the burial. He represented President Samia Suluhu Hassan to join mourners and fellow leaders from across the globe who gathered to pay their final respects to the former leader of the Catholic Church.
Speaking after the conclusion of funeral mass, Dr Mpango said the best way to honour Pope Francis is by promoting peace and caring for the poor.
He said Pope Francis was a humble person who made significant efforts to promote peace in various regions of the world, leaving behind a legacy, including the moment when he kissed the feet of Sudanese leaders to encourage them to end the conflict.
The Vice-President further shared that one of the final letters signed by Pope Francis to President Samia was the one that wished her well on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the Union of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.
Dr Mpango was accompanied by Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Ambassador of Tanzania to the Vatican, Ambassador Hassan Mwameta and the Director of the Europe and America Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Swahiba Mndeme.
Pope Francis was laid to rest in a simple underground tomb, in a private ceremony held in a church outside the Vatican grounds, in accordance with his wishes.
The Pope is the first in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican and his entombment was a private event, allowing for those closest to him to pay their respect.
The burial followed the conclusion of the funeral Mass earlier at St Peter’s Square, where his coffin was placed onto the popemobile and transported across Rome to his final resting place.
An estimated 400,000 mourners gathered across Vatican City and the streets of Rome to witness the historic moment as Pope Francis’ casket made its way to the basilica. The burial ceremony, marked by deep sorrow and immense gratitude, was led by Cardinal Chamberlain Kevin Joseph Farrell.
Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
Earlier, the funeral service held at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican, brought together leaders and dignitaries from around the world. An estimated 200,000 mourners gathered to pay their respects, with 50,000 inside the square itself.
The funeral was attended by over 100 World leaders. Among the leaders who attended were current and former US Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Others in attendance were Democratic Republic of the Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, Kenya’s William Ruto, Central Africa Republic’s President Faustin-Archange Touadera, Gabon’s President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguem, Cape Verde’s President Jose Maria Neves and many others.
The funeral service was led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, who also delivered the homily honouring the life and legacy of Pope Francis.
In his homily, Cardinal Re described Pope Francis as “a Pope among the people, with an open heart,” who dedicated his life to the marginalised and those in need.
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