The funeral ceremony of Pope Francis
All arrangements for the funeral ceremony of Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics who passed away on April 21, were meticulously and orderly conducted in the Vatican. This ceremony, held for the 266th leader of the Catholic Church, commenced at 11 a.m. Turkish time in the famous Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican. At the beginning of the ceremony, the body of Pope Francis was transferred to Saint Peter’s Square.
Numan Kurtulmuş, the Speaker of Turkey’s Grand National Assembly, traveled to the Vatican to attend the ceremony. At Fiumicino-Leonardo da Vinci Airport, he was welcomed by Elif Çomoğlu Ülgen, Turkey’s ambassador to Rome, and Neslihan Altay, the chargé d’affaires of Turkey’s embassy in the Vatican, alongside other official representatives. Following this, Kurtulmuş proceeded to Saint Peter’s Square to participate in the funeral ceremony.
Numan Kurtulmuş, in a statement released through his official account, stated: We represented the Republic of Turkey at the funeral ceremony of Pope Francis, the leader of the Vatican, and once again expressed our condolences to the Vatican authorities and the Catholic community.
After the ceremony, the body of Pope Francis was transferred to the Grand Church of Saint Mary, “Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore,” in a six-kilometer procession, where it was laid to rest in a simple ceremony. The Vatican announced that the burial took place in his personal tomb within the church.
