Quotes
It was very emotional. In prayer, I asked the pope for some things and I know he will give them to me,
It was like saying goodbye to a father" who "loved me and will continue to love me as and more than before,
Filipa Castronovo, 76, an Italian nun said after seeing the coffin on Friday It's impressive to see all these people,
French cardinal Francois-Xavier Bustillo said of the queuing crowds, describing Francis as "a man of the people". We love the pope, we feel blessed to see him a last (time),
added Michelle Alcaide, 35, also from the Philippines, as she queued Whatever happens, we have to get inside,
said Ian Delmonte, 35, from the Philippines Night is the most intimate moment, the Lord always manifests himself at night,
said Nicoletta Tomassetti, 60, who visited the Basilica in the very early hours of Friday morning It is an activity, as you have seen in recent days, that is particularly complex,
said Fabio Ciciliano, the head of Italy’s civil protection service When he saw the niche, Francis replied: ‘This is my place, I want to be buried here,
He was walking towards the basilica and someone went up to him and said: ‘I don’t have petrol, can you give me some money?’,
I can understand why Francis chose to be buried here. It is breathtakingly beautiful.”
Standing in a queue waiting for a priest to bless various holy souvenirs bought during her trip to Rome, Stephanie Polco, a pilgrim from Mexico, said He told me he had simplified his funeral, because he felt [papal funerals] were overembellished,
He radiated peace through every pore of his being,
said Erika, a German doctor living in Norway, after leaving a message in a tribute book for Francis by the basilica’s entrance It was important to be here, even in mourning, it’s a historical moment too. The dynamics may have changed but we’re here, too.”
Francisco Martins, the leader of the group, said It meant a lot to me to see him, he gave us so much,
said one woman who waited in line to file past the pontiff’s casket It’s been great, Rome’s full of people and there’s work for everyone,
said Roberto Vaccini, the owner of Antica Vineria, a restaurant and wine bar near the Vatican We came for the Jubilee. Instead we found ourselves involved with another event,
said Giulia Marchelli, from Ovada, a town in Piedmont, in northern Italy, who had come with a church group It’s normal because so many people loved him,
said Daniela Sirigu, who lives in Rome and paid her respects on Friday Even in death, ... Francis “distanced himself from the curia, from a certain idea of the papacy.”
Not a lot (of people) can really come here (and) we got to be chosen to be here,
I think everybody loves him because he's like pro-poor, pro-LGBT. He opened doors for gay people as well, like us,
said Yu, who was raised a Catholic and studied for the priesthood before moving to California to work as a nurse
