By Sherwin Bryce-Pease

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend the funeral of the late Pontiff in St Peter's Square, joined by Kings and Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers, the United Nations (UN) Secretary General and other dignitaries from all corners of the globe.

From the scores lining up to file past his coffin for one final glimpse, to the players and fans of Inter and AC Milan marking a moment of silence in San Siro stadium on Wednesday, or in the poor neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina where Francis spent his years as a parish priest; moments of silence in the UN Security Council and on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, tributes continue to pour in for the late Pope who died in the early hours of Easter Monday at the age of 88.

From his humble beginnings and the pro-poor life he led, the backdrop to his farewell will be the magnificent Papal enclave in Rome and a legion of dignitaries, including UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

“Through the years, we at the UN were greatly inspired by his commitment to the goals and ideals of our organisation, a message I was honoured to convey in my meetings with him as Secretary-General.

Pope Francis also understood that protecting our common home is, at heart, a deeply moral mission and responsibility that belongs to every person. Many of us find great meaning in his final Easter message delivered just yesterday.

He appealed for us not to yield to, as he called it, the "logic of fear". Instead, he urged the world to invest in what he referred to as the "weapons of peace", to help the most vulnerable, to fight hunger, to advance development.

Our divided and discordant world will be a much better place if we follow his example of unity and mutual understanding in our own actions,” Guterres said.  

US President, Donald Trump has ordered flags at the country’s government and military installations be flown at half-staff until sunset on Saturday.

“I just signed an executive order putting the flags of our country, all of them, all federal flags and state flags at half-mast in honour of Pope Francis. So, he was a good man, worked hard, he loved the world, and it's an honour to do that,” Trump said.

Trump will be joined by a number of European leaders, among them, French President, Emmanuel Macron, who has also highlighted impact of the Pope’s leadership.

“It was the vocation of a man, a religious figure, of a bishop, then of a cardinal and a Pope who, throughout his life, fought for greater justice, fought for a certain idea of ​​humanity, that is to say, a fraternal idea.

This is the one with which, I think, many relate. I know the pain that many today feel. I want to express to them the support of France, my personal support as well as that of my wife. We obviously think of everything he did, everything he left behind,” Macron said.

European Union Commission President, Ursula von Der Leyen also confirmed to be in Rome on Saturday. Her Spokesperson, Arianna Podesta said the Pope inspired millions far beyond the Catholic Church.

“Our thoughts are with all who feel this profound loss, may they find solace in the idea that Pope Francis' legacy will continue to guide us all toward a more just, peaceful and compassionate world. Let me also confirm that the President (Ursula Von der Leyen) will travel to Rome on Saturday to attend the funeral ceremony of His Holiness, Pope Francis,” von Der Leyen said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has short an official visit to South Africa to return to return home after Russia launched a barrage of missiles against Kyiv, is also expected to make the journey to Rome, where he'll be joined by the King and Queen of Spain, the Prince of Wales and the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and Italy, among others. The latter is Giorgia Meloni.

“I will always be grateful to Pope Francis for the time we spent together, for his teachings, for his advice. The most assiduous was 'never lose your sense of humour'. It was also the last thing he said to me.

There was a profound sense in that too, of course. He knew that with his voice he could give a voice to those who didn't have one, and he did it, he also did it by breaking the mould, because he said that you should not be afraid to go against the grain if it is to do a good thing,” Meloni said

The President of Francis' home country of Argentina, Javier Milei, also among the Latin American leaders expected in Rome along with the President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, has called Francis a Pope of welcome.

“Francis was the Pope for everyone, but especially for the disenfranchised, the poorest, the wronged, the immigrants, those who have no voice, the victims of hunger and abandonment.

In one of the audiences I had with him, we discussed the need for a global assessment of hunger and poverty, which was effectively launched by Brazil last year during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Although today is a day of great sadness, we will always remember Pope Francis' joy, his smile that lit up everything and everyone, his enthusiasm for life, his good humour, his optimism, his passion for football, a quality that made him the greatest Brazilian among Argentinians,” Lula Da Silva said.

And as mourners gather in Rome and around the world to bid farewell, experts say they should expect a standard ritual synonymous with the burial of a Catholic Pope. Philip Pullella, is a Vatican Expert, and said Francis's funeral will be the standard funeral for a Pope.

“The last time that there was a funeral for a reigning pope who died while reigning in office was that of John Paul II in 2005. It's a special liturgy specifically for the death of a Pope. Towards the end, there is what is known as the commendation and the final farewell, where there will be a series of prayers over the coffin.

After that, the coffin will be taken to Santa Maria Maggiore, the basilica on the other side of Rome, which is where Pope Francis wants to be buried,” Pullella said.

And while not all world leaders will make it to church’s headquarters this weekend, over 170 delegations representing various governments will pay their final respects. Millions around the world expected to tune into proceedings via various media platforms, for a funeral which will be held under tight security in front of St Peter's Basilica and presided over by 91-year old Cardinal Giovanni Battista, the Dean of the College of Cardinals.

Pope Francis also left plans for his funeral in a final will written in June 2022 in which he asked to buried in a simple wooden casket and placed in a tomb that too is simple and without particular decoration, inscribed only with Franciscus, which is Latin for Francis.

---SABCNews---