Pope Francis dies at the age of 88Vatican confirms that the Pope died of a stroke and publishes his willIn eternal Rome, where Bernini carved the glory in the travertine of St. Peter's, history does not stand still. Neither does faith. Nor mourning. Nor the love of the people for their shepherd.
To think of the death of a Pope in Rome is to unwittingly travel the circles of the "Divine Comedy" because everything that happens here - in the heart of the Church - has something of the final judgment, of the scales, of heaven and earth coming together. Here the mourning for a Pope has theological and political, mystical and popular resonance.
Assessments of a pontificate
Analysts have already begun to work on the matter. All of them agree that the pontificate of Francisco has been marked by increasing polarization within the Church. Especially in recent years, tensions have come to the fore more harshly. The legacy of this papacy has yet to be written. It will require distance, perspective, wisdom... and surely generations that pray more and speak less.
Some have written with appreciation and balance, others with notable criticism. Time will judge, as it judged the popes that Dante placed in the darkest part of the Inferno or on the summits of Paradise.
Believers pray for the pope
But for now, in the present without filters or definitive stories, the only certainty is that in the queue of St. Peter's the faithful people are doing what they have been doing for centuries: praying for the Pope. Because above all ideologies and nuances, to be Catholic is to be united to the Pope - to this one, the previous one and the one to come - even if one does not share all his comments or decisions. Because the Pope is the successor of Peter. And when he dies, the whole Church stops.
There will be those who will draw parallels between the lines these days and those that formed during the funeral of John Paul II, wondering if they are shorter, less showy or quieter now.
Some will also recall that these days coincide with the Jubilee of adolescents and with the postponed canonization This would explain the unexpected tide of pilgrims that yesterday overwhelmed all expectations, with queues of between three and five hours that remained incessant until the closing time, after two o'clock in the morning. "We came with the illusion of seeing Carlo on the altars, but the news left us heartbroken. Now we are here to pray for the Pope and thank him for all he has done," says Valentina, a young woman from Arezzo who came accompanied by her parish.
Stories at the tail end of St. Peter's
Many have come from different regions of Italy to pay homage to the Pontiff who marked an era. Giuseppe and Annamaria, a retired couple from Bari, arrived by train: "We didn't want to miss it. Francis was a close shepherd, a grandfather to the people. We have prayed a lot for him in these days".
The atmosphere in the square is not only one of recollection, as there are many hours in the sun, standing and with a mass of people around. Some tourists are encouraged to queue in the hope of taking a selfie when they are a little more than two meters from the corpse of the Pope, but four hours of penance are a price that only true love is able to pay.
"Every face in the line is a testimony of the affection that Francis knew how to sow," says Father Marcelo, a Brazilian priest. "He has been a Pope who spoke to our hearts, who taught us to look with tenderness and to trust in God's mercy. This last gesture, coming to bid him farewell, is also a prayer."
Some pray the rosary, and it is not uncommon for those nearby to spontaneously join in the prayer. There are young people, families with children and the elderly. Despite the fatigue, the wait is lived with serenity and expectation. "Five hours in line is nothing to give him back a little of what he has given us," says Marta, a woman from Peru.
At night, while the city is fading, the line of faithful continues to move slowly towards the Basilica. Many walk in silence. In the air, a shared sentiment: gratitude. Because, as one is heard to say, "the Pope is gone, but not his legacy. His voice lives on in us.
Under the golden baldachin designed by Bernini, rest the remains of a man for whom the Church prays. A pastor whom the simple people bid farewell not with editorials, but with prayers. Because in the end, beyond the noise and the numbers, the Church always responds in the same way to the death of a Pope: with faith, with hope... and with a long line of faithful who, without knowing how to explain it all, feel they must be there. Because they know that the great farewells are not shouted. They are prayed. And one learns that in the queue to say goodbye to Francis in St. Peter's.
The body of Pope Francis will be kept vigil in the Basilica until Friday. The funeral will take place on Saturday morning in the Square, in a ceremony that is expected to be attended by a large crowd.
