Feature story
* By Philippa Hitchen
World Council of Churches (WCC) central committee moderator Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm and WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay were among the huge crowds gathered in the Vatican on 26 April to give thanks for the life and ministry of a man who sought to build bridges with people from all faiths and all walks of life.
Just after 10 am, the plain wooden coffin carrying the pope’s body was carried by over a dozen pallbearers slowly down the central aisle of St Peter’s Basilica and out into the square which had been filling up since before dawn. An estimated 250,000 people packed into the square and another 150,000 filled the surrounding streets leading down towards the Tiber River.
Under a cloudless blue sky, the coffin was placed in front of a raised altar, as red-robed cardinals and black-clad dignitaries filed into rows of seats on either side. Ecumenical partners, including Patriarch Bartholomew and representatives of many different Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches were seated close by, as well as several thousand priests who had come to concelebrate with the cardinals and bishops.
Speaking of the pope’s spontaneity and “charisma of welcome and listening,” Cardinal Re said “the outpouring of affection that we have witnessed in recent days [….] tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts.” He recalled the pontiff’s last appearance on Easter Sunday, when “despite his serious health problems, he wanted to give us his blessing from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica” and to greet the crowds gathered in the square below.
Repeatedly accompanied by applause from the crowds, the cardinal spoke of the pope’s “clear missionary vision” as he sought to “spread the joy of the Gospel.” He noted the Argentinian pontiff’s “gestures and exhortations in favour of refugees and displaced persons,” as well as “his insistence on working on behalf of the poor.” He mentioned the first papal trip that Francis made to the island of Lampedusa, as well as his visit to a refugee camp in Lesbos, together with Patriarch Bartholomew, and his celebration of Mass on the border between Mexico and the United States.
Interreligious dialogue was another hallmark of this 12-year pontificate, said the cardinal, noting the pope’s 2021 journey to Iraq, where he met with the leader of Shia Islam, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the holy city of Najaf. Right up until the end of his earthly ministry, the cardinal reflected, Pope Francis sought to to bring God’s love and mercy to “the most peripheral periphery of the world.”
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Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary, and Bishop Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, WCC moderator, at the funeral of Pope Francis.
WCC
The themes of fraternity, solidarity and a culture of encounter were priorities for this pope, Cardinal Re insisted, recalling his encyclical letter Fratelli Tutti and the “Document on Human Fraternity,” which the pope signed together with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, during a visit to the United Arab Emirates. Concern for future generations and for the future of the planet were the focus of his encyclical Laudato Si’ which drew attention “to our duties and shared responsibility for our common home,” the cardinal added.
Bedford-Strohm reflected that Pope Francis will be remembered with gratitude and love by Christians and all people of good will around the world.
“Throughout his ministry, Pope Francis offered a prophetic voice for our times,” said Bedford-Strohm. "His witness to the Gospel, his heartfelt call for Christian unity, and his tireless advocacy for the marginalized have left an indelible mark on the global Christian community.”
Reflecting on the way that these priorities resonated with Pope Francis’ “many allies and admirers in the ecumenical movement and in the worldwide fellowship of the WCC,” Pillay said his papacy has been “a great gift to the ecumenical movement.” He added the pope “has been a dedicated collaborator in our efforts toward Christian unity and reconciliation and a prophetic voice for peace, the environment and justice everywhere.”
At the conclusion of the Mass, the coffin was placed on an open-topped popemobile and driven across the city centre to the Basilica of St Mary Major, the oldest church in Rome dedicated to the mother of God. The basilica and its ancient icon of the Virgin and Child had a special place in the heart of Pope Francis, who visited many times throughout his life. On his way to and from every papal journey, he would stop for a moment to pray there. In his last testament, he asked for a simple tomb to be prepared for him using white stone from the northern Italian region where his family had its roots.
Waiting to bid the pope a final farewell, as the coffin was carried inside the basilica, was a group of local homeless, migrants, and other marginalised people, a fitting tribute for a leader who taught the world that “no one can be excluded” from the grace and mercy of God.
Philippa Hitchen is a communications officer with the Lutheran World Federation and previously spent 30 years working as a journalist for Vatican Radio. She reports from Rome.
Rome prepares for papal funeral (WCC feature story, 28 April 2025)
WCC leaders to attend funeral of Pope Francis in Rome (WCC news release, 24 April 2025)
Voices from the fellowship: mourning Pope Francis (WCC feature story, 24 April 2025)
Pope Francis, ecumenical prophet of mercy, dies at age 88 (WCC obituary, 21 April 2025)
