Pope Francis funeral homily: Watch and read full transcript

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered Saturday for the funeral Mass of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square. 

World leaders and Catholic faithful bade farewell in a funeral Saturday reflecting Francis’ priorities as pope and wishes as pastor.

Pope Francis’ funeral homily

The backstory:

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re delivered the eulogy Saturday in St. Peter’s Square.

What they're saying:

Francis was remembered as a "pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone."

Re recalled the last image many people have of Francis was of him delivering what would become his final blessing on Easter Sunday, and saluting from the popemobile in the same piazza where his funeral was being celebrated.

Full transcript

In this majestic St. Peter's Square where Pope Francis celebrated the Eucharist so many times and presided over great gatherings over the past 12 years we are gathered with sad hearts in prayer around his mortal remains. 

Yet we are sustained by the certainty of faith which assures us that human existence does not end in the tomb, but in the Father’s house in a life of happiness that will know no end. 

On behalf of the College of Cardinals I cordially thank all of you for your presence. With deep emotion I extend respected greetings and heartfelt thanks to the heads of state, heads of government and official delegations who have come from many countries to express their affection, veneration and esteem for our late Holy Father. 

The outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days following his passing from this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts.

The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of last Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite his serious health problems, wanted to give us his blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica then came down to this square to greet the large crowd gathered for the Easter Mass, while riding in the open top Popemobile. 

With our prayers, we now entrust the soul of our beloved Pontiff to God that he may grant him eternal happiness in the bright and glorious gaze of his immense love. 

We are enlightened and guided by the passage of the gospel in which the voice, the very voice of Christ resounded asking the first of the apostles, "Peter, do you love me more than these?"

Peter's answer was prompt and sincere. 

"Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." 

Jesus then entrusted him with a great mission: "Feed my sheep."

This will be the constant task of Peter and his successors, a service of love in the footsteps of Christ, our Master in Lord. 

Despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving. Until the last days of his life, he followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd, who loved his sheep to the point of giving his life for them. And he did so with strength and serenity, close to his flock, the Church of God. 

When Cardinal Bergoglio was elected by the Conclave on March 13th, 2013, to succeed Pope Benedict XVI, he already had many years of experience in religious life, in this society of Jesus, and above all was enriched by twenty-one years of pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, first as auxiliary, then as coadjutor, and above all as archbishop. 

The decision to take the name Francis immediately appeared to indicate the pastoral plan and style on which he wanted to base his pontificate, seeking inspiration from the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi. 

He maintained his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute personality, immediately made his mark on the governance of the Church. He established direct contact with individuals and people, eager to be close to everyone with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalized.

He was a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone. He was also a pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the church.  

With his characteristic vocabulary and language, reaching images and metaphors, he always sought to shed light on the problems of our times with the wisdom of the Gospel.

He did so by offering a response, guided by the light of faith and encouraging us to believe as Christians amid the challenges and contradictions in recent years which he loved to describe as an epochal change. 

He had a great spontaneity and an informal way of addressing everyone, even those far from the church. 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. 

He gave of himself by comforting and encouraging us with a message - a message capable of reaching people's hearts in a direct and immediate way. 

His charisma of welcome and listening, combined with a manner of behavior in keeping with today’s sensitivities, touched hearts and sought to reawaken moral and spiritual sensibilities. 

Evangelization was the guiding principle of his pontificate. With a clear, missionary vision, he spread the joy of the Gospel, which was the title of his first Apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. It is a joy that fills the hearts of those who entrust themselves to God with confidence and hope.

The guiding thread of his mission was also the conviction that the Church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open. 

He often used the image of the Church as a healed hospital after a battle in which many had been wounded. The Church, determined to take care of the problems of people and the great anxieties that tear the contemporary world apart. A Church capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition and healing their wounds. 

His gestures and exhortations in favor of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant. 

It is significant that Pope Francis’ first journey was to Lampedusa, an island that symbolizes the tragedy of immigration, with thousands of people drowning at sea. 

In the same vein is his trip to Lesbos, together with the ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens, as well as the celebration of a mass on the border between Mexico and the United States during his journey to Mexico.

Of his 47 arduous Apostolic journeys, the one to Iraq in 2021 defying every risk will remain particularly memorable. That difficult Apostolic journey was a balm on the open wound of the Iraqi people who had suffered so much from the inhuman actions of ISIS. It was also an important trip for interreligious dialogue, another significant dimension of his pastoral work. With his 2024 Apostolic journey to four countries in Asia and Oceania, the Pope reached the most peripheral periphery of the world. 

Pope Francis always placed the Gospel of Mercy at the center, repeatedly emphasizing that God never tires of forgiving us. He always forgives, whatever the situation might be, of the person who asks for forgiveness and returns to the right path. 

He called for the extraordinary jubilee of mercy, in order to highlight the mercy is the heart of the Gospel. 

"Mercy" and the "Joy of the Gospel" are two key words for Pope Francis.

In contrast to what he called the culture of waste, he spoke of the culture of encounter in solidarity. The theme of fraternity ran through his entire pontificate with five cantons. In his encyclical, he wanted to revive a worldwide aspiration to fraternity because we are all children of the same Father, who is in Heaven. 

He often forcefully reminded us that we all belong to the same human family and that no one is saved alone. 

In 2019, during his trip to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis signed a document on human fraternity for world peace and living together, to calling the common fatherhood of God.

Addressing men and women throughout the world, in his encyclical letter Laudato Si, he drew attention to the duties and shared responsibility for our common home, stating that no one is saved alone. 

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. Because war, as he said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse than it was before. It is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone. 

"Build bridges, not walls," was an exhortation he repeated many times, and his service of faith as successor of the Apostle Peter was always linked to the service of humanity in all its dimensions. 

Spiritually united with all of Christianity, we are here in large numbers to pray for Pope Francis, that God may welcome him into the immensity of his love. 

Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying, "Do not forget to pray for me."

Now, dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. 

We ask you, from Heaven, may you bless the Church. May you bless Rome and bless the whole world as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this basilica, in a final embrace with all the people of God. But also, embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope. 

That was the homily delivered by Cardinal Giovanni Battistere, the Dean of the College of Cardinals who is presiding at this requiem mass for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis.

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