Overview

• Pope Francis, who passed away at age 88 on April 21, was buried in Santa Maria Maggiore, fulfilling his wish for a modest resting place outside the Vatican.
• A Requiem Mass led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re drew over 250,000 attendees, including 50 heads of state and numerous global dignitaries.
• The papal funeral procession through Rome featured emotional tributes from pilgrims and marginalized groups, reflecting Francis’s legacy of compassion for the underprivileged.
• The Catholic Church initiates a nine-day mourning novena while 135 cardinals under 80 prepare for the Conclave to elect Francis’s successor.
• Demand for Pope Francis’s writings and the Vatican drama 'Konklave' has surged, underscoring his profound cultural and spiritual impact.