By Very Rev Fr Michael Toomey VF, PP
Any time someone we love dies, it comes as a shock, even if that person hasn’t been well for some time. The fact that Pope Francis died on Easter Monday morning so soon after blessing the crowds on Easter Sunday at St Peters, despite his recent hospitalisation, we had a sense that he was recovering from his recent illness as he continued more and more to be back where he wanted to be with the people of God. That was evident on Holy Thursday when he went to the prison as he always did. But this year his one regret he said was that he could not physically wash the feet of the prisoners.
When the news broke early on Monday morning, I immediately went and prepared to celebrate Mass on RTÉ News live for the first time. Literally 90 minutes before I go on air and celebrate Mass with a brief homily, the world was waking up to the news on that the Holy Father had died.
I had mentioned earlier in the day that I was looking forward to joining a number of pilgrims from Ireland to go to Rome to celebrate the canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis, and the hope that the Pope would be there in someway.
But the Lord had other plans.
I decided to travel a day earlier to Rome to get a sense of how things were and in preparation for the group that was arriving on Friday. As I arrived in the Vatican on Wednesday, the Holy Fathers remains had already arrived in Saint Peter’s Basilica and a huge swell of crowds from all sides trying to get into the Vatican was something I’ve never witnessed before.
What also struck me was the serenity of the place despite the huge crowds. I decided to come back later that evening. My cousin and her husband were visiting their daughter who’s living in Rome and they decided to go and queue at 7:30. It was three hours before they arrived at the coffin of Pope Francis but felt it was such an important thing to do to be one of the quarter of a million people who had the chance to say goodbye over those three days when the public were allowed to do so.
Like any death and subsequent funeral, our plans are changed. I’m sure the nearly quarter of a million people who passed by his coffin in those days, and a similar number who attended the funeral on Saturday including royalty, presidents, leaders, church and religious leaders had other things planned for this Saturday. I know I did. Yet the Lord worked his wonders again and brought us all together to pray for the happy repose of the soul of Pope Francis.
Indeed it is amazing who we meet on such journeys. By the tomb of Pope Francis I met a man from England who is a teacher and I was inspired by his own reason for coming to Rome specifically on hearing the death of Pope Francis. The priest sitting beside me at the funeral also had his reasons for being there indeed of many people who were there particularly teenagers who are there for the Jubilee of Teenagers which was taking place that weekend from all over the world. It was wonderful to witness many of them singing, clapping and cheering Pope Francis and celebrating their faith in such a unique and positive way.
The group I was assisting who were coming out for the Canonisation still came but now they were coming for a funeral of the Pope rather than the canonisation of Carlo Acutis which was suspended until a later time. Each and everyone of them had their plans changed yet they embraced the great privilege, as I did, of going into Saint Peter’s Basilica queueing for hours to spend a few seconds reflecting praying for and being with Pope Francis one last time.
The young people from Ireland who were with me in their group spoke highly of Pope Francis and the great honour it was to be part of something so historic. What struck them most was the huge crowds, the friends they made, the way the crowds burst into applause at various times during the funeral, and just the prayer for serenity despite their being over half a million people gathered in and around Saint Peter’s.
While the world is obviously saddened by the death of Pope Francis, earlier in the week I reflected on this which I shared on national and local radio stations who had interviewed me.
The fact that God allowed him to live until the end of the Easter Mass is deeply moving. It is as if the Lord granted him just enough time to complete his mission one last time. To bless the people and the world on the holiest day of the year. It was like the Lord had said to him: “I ask you for one last time, feed my sheep, and bless my people on the day of my resurrection on Easter Sunday”. And he did just that. And he went around the crowds and blessed them. Our last image of him in public which will forever be etched in our hearts.
Then in the early hours of Easter morning The Lord granted him eternal rest. Truly, a grace-filled farewell. Not even the best script or film writers could come up with an ending so beautifully poignant for such a remarkable man that Pope Francis was.
THE FUNERAL
On Saturday, the day of the funeral, I arrived into the Vatican just before 6 am and went through three lots of security. A group of us had to argue with some security to get through to where we were to be seated. After my celebret (the priests identification card) was checked several times at each checkpoint, I was thankfully in my seat by 6.30am at the front of all the priests from around the world. Three and a half hours before the Mass began.
Fr Paul, a priest from Tanzania studying in Rome is sitting beside me. As we were sitting waiting, I spoke to his sister on his phone from Tanzania. We shared our different stories of priesthood and both agreed, we need to continue to pray for vocations. A few priests behind me slowly fell asleep as it was quite cool, and early, and nothing much happening for the three hours we had been waiting before the Mass began.
I could see my cousin Catherine in the crowd, as she had the large Irish flag proudly supporting the many Irish here today.
By 7 am the crowds were getting much bigger with the sun is beginning to shine, even though it was still quite chilly.
Myself and Fr. Paul prayed morning prayer together and then the rosary but kept looking at everything going on because there was so many people passing by, even getting a glimpse of dignities from Ireland and around the world passing us by to get to their seats.
By 8.50 it was time to vest and the time had gone really quickly has so much happening around as dignitaries arrive please find their seats and to see the final preparations being made
I also was struck about the huge logistical challenges for everybody in the Vatican. Yet everyone seemed to know their place from ushers, security, volunteers, even those involved in the liturgy to ensure everybody was seated in their correct places and that everybody was ready by 9:45.
Then the bells rang and we could see on the screens from inside the Vatican as the cardinals prepared to follow the coffin of Pope Francis into the front of Saint Peter’s Basilica. Silence descended across the whole area with only the sound of the drones and helicopter in the distance along with the seagulls who flew above.
As the coffin of Pope Francis entered the area, there was a huge applause from across the entire plaza.
Once the Mass began, it was like any normal funeral mass with two readings, and gospel and the homily given so eloquently by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.
Throughout the homily applause broke out as Cardinal Re reflected on the remarkable and humble legacy that Pope Francis has left in in his many encyclicals, and words of peace and love, and his ambition that the church is for everyone no matter what their background or past.
At Communion, I along with the priests around me were honoured to distribute Holy Communion to some of the congregation who were in the square. After which we went into the Basilica to propose the blessed sacrament and I passed the beautiful Vatican choir who added so beautifully to the whole liturgy.
During the prayers of the Eastern Churches one line struck a cord with both myself and Fr. Paul. It read:
“May your remembrance be eternal dear brother, worthy of blessedness, never be forgotten. “
After the rite of Prayers of Commendation and before the coffin was removed back into Saint Peter’s, Pope Francis was raised as he faced the people in St Peters one last time. What came to mind for me was the night of the 13th of March 2013 as Pope Francis was presented as Bishop of Rome, he bowed his head and asked for the people of God to pray over him. This was now the final time that we were able to do so in such a public way. It was for me one of the most moving parts of the entire ceremony, as his papacy ended how it had started with the people of God praying over him. As his remains entered the basilica another round of applause echoed again around the entire plaza.
In those several hours from the time I arrived after 6 in the morning and leaving just before 1 o’clock I really felt truly humbled and blessed to have been part of this historic and sacred Mass.
Many will speak of the legacy of Pope Francis and the words spoken about him in the last number of days echoes the great affection this man had for so many around the world.
For me, I will always remember the Pope who essentially was always a priest at heart in the way he ministered to the people of God no matter what their beliefs, background, or status in life. He has now been laid to rest in a place that he found great solace in at Saint Mary Majors.
“Well done, good and faithful servant”.
May he Rest in Peace.
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