Vatican City, April 24 (askanews) – There is another pilgrimage underway with many faithful queuing up, the one to Santa Maria Maggiore, the basilica on the Esquiline chosen by the Argentine Pontiff for his burial.
Italians but not only. Many foreigners have been coming here for days. At the exit an image of Jorge Mario Bergoglio and the writing Franciscus 1936-2025.
Next to it is the book of signatures for the faithful. “Dear Pope Francis, I will pray for you. You pray for me and my family.”
“He loved Our Lady so much that he decided to be buried here,” says the archbishop of Kaunas in Lithuania, Monsignor Kestutis Kevalas, who came to Rome for Francis’ funeral. “He wanted to be simple and humble until the end.”
Carlos and Maria come from Argentina.
“Bergoglio’s death was too much of a loss. We are here to accompany him in this moment. We went to St. Peter’s and now to Santa Maria Maggiore. He was a humble Pope, for us Argentines it was a great thing to have had a Pope who represented our people: he made the revolution in the Church”.
Some young people, instead, come from Brazil to follow the canonization of Carlo Acutis. “He was a great Pope,” they also say. “We stayed to see the funeral, it is important to watch every detail of this religious ceremony.”
Three red drapes were placed on the main facade of the Vatican Basilica. Then the line to enter, through the Holy Door. And then the path to the burial place chosen by Francis: on the left aisle, between the Sforza Chapel and the Pauline Chapel, a place that houses the icon Salus Populi Romani, so dear to Bergoglio. The Pope has always gone here before and after every international trip, he did so even after his hospitalization at Gemelli. On Saturday, April 26, his earthly journey will end here.
Notizie.it editorial team