Funeral of Pope Francis

[cakeorwine]

Watching it now. I'm not religious - but it is a fascinating watch and a beautiful setting.

I was born in 1961 and remember kneeling at the altar and wearing a mantilla. This funeral has brought back many memories.

Why did they do it? Subtitles would have been so much better so we could hear the Italian service being spoken.

They also managed to say something like the paschal candle is standing next to Saint Francis' coffin representing the resurrection.

If a peace deal can be agreed Pope Francis would be delighted, he was very concerned about the wars in the world. Did you know he called the parish priest of Gaza everyday day on the phone to check how he and his congregation were.

I'm not a Catholic, and wouldn't dispute that the church is powerful - but the Pope is a world leader (the Vatican is a European country and the Pope is it's leader). The British would expect world leaders to attend the funeral of the monarch, and in real terms they are far less powerful or influential. It is convention.

Why are some posters so determined to make up their own narrative? The head of the CoE doesn't attend papal funerals.

I am an Irish Catholic also but was born in an African country in 1965 .I spent my teenage years in Ireland .I remember going to mass every Sunday as a small child and we wore our Sunday best .My mum wore either a hat or a mantilla as did all the other women and also white gloves ,The men all wore dark suits and ties and their hair was always slicked back , my brothers wore shorts ,shirts and dickie bows .I always wore a dress and white knee socks with frills at the top .We knelt at the alter to receive communion.I made my confirmation in Ireland and we all wore a white mantilla .Its amazing to see the change in dress in my lifetime .

Hopefully they have different people to receive the coffin at St Mary Major. The guy at the front at the Vatican needs a rest.

Seriously at least two of those pall bearers seemed under real pressure!!

there were 14 men carrying the coffin, i felt for them

I wonder if whoever is officiating at SMM is accompanying the coffin or already there?

I'm not the most religious. But that statement about Gaza has brought a tear to my eye.

I often think of people like the Pope being too far up the tree to be in touch with the people at the bottom.
Please God answer their prayers 🙏

I was holding my breath. The one at the front left looked like he was really struggling. I’m guessing a zinc lined coffin isn’t that much lighter than a lead lined one.

people can't clap easily because they are holding their phones up

Pope Francis chose a simple zinc lined coffin. Other Popes are in three coffins, one wood, one metal (lead maybe) and then a cypress wood coffin. Those pall bearers wouldn't have a hope with that 😀

Ah I wasn't aware of that.

This is very much how he lived his papacy. He was very much a Pope of the people.

I hope that the next one is very much the same.

I thought that when they carried the coffin in last week, the guy on the front left then looked like he was really struggling.

I read that the coffin was carried by the "Gentlemen of his Holiness", not clergy but laypeople who assist the Pope.

I thought it looked like the platform that the coffin was on needed to be longer with seven at each side and also how someone with military training, Swiss Guard maybe, would make it look neater/actually be able to walk in step.

I reckon that's correct. The American funerals I've seen have had everyone wearing black, more so than at UK funerals I've attended.

Absolutely and that is why Charles went to Pope John Paul II's funeral when he was Prince of Wales. He went instead of the Queen because, as you say, the head of the CofE does not attend papal funerals.

less pall bearers here

Honestly, getting the coffin off the vehicle looks absolutely shabby.

He was always ringing people up apparently. At first a lot of people thought it was a prankster on the phone pretending to be the pope, until it became apparent that he was actually going to phone people and speak to them personally.

Didn't he phone up the people who had delivered his newspapers in Buenos Aires to cancel the order and arrange to pay his outstanding bill? I think that was on the day after he was elected and the newspaper sellers thought it was someone taking the piss.

Yes - not like the soldiers carrying the Queen's coffin up the steps at Windsor, which was hairy but smooth.

oh no, pall bearers are there now