Pope Francis funeral updates: Pope Francis laid to rest after historic funeral in front of 250,000

Pope Francis was remembered on Saturday as a unifying force, a leader who "sought to shed light on the problems of our time with the wisdom of the Gospel."

"Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today's challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalization," Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said in a liturgy during Francis' funeral.

At his funeral, Pope Francis was remembered and venerated as a pontiff with "strength and serenity" who modeled St. Francis of Assisi.

Battista Re added, "He gave of himself by comforting and encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people's hearts in a direct and immediate way."

The cardinal praised Francis for giving himself to the church up until his final full day, when he appeared during an Easter celebration to bless the faithful who had gathered at the Vatican.

Francis maintained a "temperament and form of pastoral leadership" throughout his years leading the church, Battista Re said. And he was "guided by the light of faith" as he encouraged everyone -- from world leaders to the leagues of faithful -- to "live as Christians amid the challenges and contradictions in recent years, which he loved to describe as an 'epochal change.'"

"Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions," Battista Re said.

He added, "War, [Francis] said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse.

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President Trump and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy met privately earlier and had a "very productive session," White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told the press pool traveling with Trump.

Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena Zelenska, are seated about seven people away from Trump and first lady Melania Trump, according to the press pool.

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Former President Biden and former first lady Jill Biden are about four rows behind them.

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President Joe Biden awarded Pope Francis the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction during a phone call in January 2025. It was the only Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction that Biden had awarded at that time.

"Pope Francis, your humility and your grace are beyond words, and your love for all is unparalleled," Biden posted on X. "As the People's Pope, you are a light of faith, hope, and love that shines brightly across the world."

The Vatican says about 200,000 people have flocked to Pope Francis' funeral mass.

The brief statement did not specify if that was in St. Peter's Square alone.

Mourners were lined up along Via della Conciliazione, which leads up to the Vatican, and followed the Mass on big screens in public squares in Rome, including outside the Santa Maria Major Basilica.