Funeral of Pope Francis underway with world leaders among thousands gathering…See More

Funeral of Pope Francis underway with world leaders among thousands gathering…See More

Cardinal Re has delivered the Prayer of the Faithful, also called the Universal Prayer.

What followed marked a departure from previous papal funerals. Cardinals delivered a short prayer in six languages: Italian, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Polish, German – and Mandarin.

It was the first time that Mandarin had been included in a papal funeral.

“For us gathered here, that having celebrated the sacred mysteries, we may one day be called by Christ to enter his glorious kingdom,” read Cardinal Agostino Liu Bo.

During his papacy, Francis voiced his desire to visit China, and the Vatican has in recent years attempted to smooth its relationship with Beijing.
Unable to visit China, Francis instead visited Mongolia in 2023, where he met Chinese Catholics and bishops. In another overture, Pope Francis in 2022 appointed Giorgio Marengo as the first Mongolian cardinal.

Cardinal Marengo will be among those who will appoint Francis’ successor in the conclave, which will begin in the days after today’s funeral.
Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalization,” Re said.

“His gestures and exhortations in favor of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant,” the cardinal continued, noting that Francis’ first journey as pope was to Lampedusa, an Italian island in the Mediterranean that has long been a first port of call for people crossing from north Africa.

“Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and inviting honest negotiation to find possible solutions. War, he said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world