Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, the city of Rome has witnessed a dramatic influx of visitors, dignitaries, and media, culminating in a poignant and historic farewell for the beloved pontiff. Maria Panessa, who manages the front desk of the upscale Bettoja Hotel Atlantico, described being overwhelmed with booking requests, particularly for the luxury penthouse suites. “Since the pope died, we have had so many more requests, delegations from everywhere,” she said, noting that the hotel’s proximity to both Roma Termini station and the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore \u2014 where Pope Francis will be laid to rest \u2014 has made it a prime location. At 88 years old, Pope Francis, who had visited the basilica over a hundred times during his 12-year papacy, chose a resting place outside the Vatican, a break from tradition not seen since Leo XIII in 1903. Panessa expressed deep personal admiration for the late pope, praising his purity and commitment to the poor and marginalized. Her colleague, Bernado Tahan, echoed her sentiments, highlighting Francis’s courage to speak uncomfortable truths, including his condemnation of Israel\u2019s war in Gaza as genocide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tomorrow, a grand funeral mass will be held at St Peter\u2019s Square, attended by a host of world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After the mass, the pope\u2019s coffin will be carried in a solemn hour-long procession to Santa Maria Maggiore. In keeping with his humble spirit, Francis had requested a simple burial in the ground, marked only by the Latin inscription of his name, “Franciscus.” About 200,000 people are expected to crowd central Rome, now heavily secured with no-fly zones, fighter jet patrols, and civil protection alerts blaring across the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Locals and visitors alike have been reflecting on Francis\u2019s legacy. Francesco Tolva, a hotel doorman, recalled the pope\u2019s refusal to smile during a photo with Donald Trump as a symbol of his fearless stance against world powers. Julia Saletti, a 28-year-old receptionist, pointed out that Pope Francis resonated with younger generations, not for religious reasons, but because of his global advocacy on issues like climate change, inequality, and migration. Her hotel, the Basilica Hotel, is now fully booked for weeks, filled with international guests, many from the pope’s native Argentina. However, Mohammed Fanta, a 23-year-old hotel worker at Relais Santa Maria Maggiore, noted that the surge in pilgrims may not necessarily translate into higher spending, as many are in Rome for prayer, not leisure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At St Peter\u2019s Square, mourners from around the world have gathered. Francisco Horfa, a theology student from East Timor, waved his national flag proudly, recalling the pope’s monumental visit to his country, which drew half the nation\u2019s population. Annalia Alia, a 69-year-old woman from the Philippines, spoke emotionally of seeing the pope both alive during his 2015 visit and now lying in state, calling the experience \u201cindescribable.\u201d Another pilgrim, Ernest Damasco, described Francis as a “father” figure, lauding his fresh, down-to-earth approach to the papacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the logistical challenge of hosting such a monumental event has fallen on Rome\u2019s authorities and a vast volunteer force. Thousands of civilian volunteers, including many from the Red Cross, have been deployed to assist police and military with crowd management, ensuring the funeral and concurrent Liberation Day celebrations proceed smoothly. Among them was Carmela Pitarra, a 53-year-old volunteer from Puglia, who saw her service as a tribute to the pope she dearly loved. As Rome prepares to say farewell to Pope Francis, the city stands united in mourning, prayer, and respect for a leader who captured hearts across the globe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, the city of Rome has witnessed a dramatic influx of visitors, dignitaries, and media, culminating in a poignant and historic farewell for the beloved pontiff. Maria Panessa, who manages the front desk of the upscale Bettoja Hotel Atlantico, described being overwhelmed with booking requests, particularly for the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":6137,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-5"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6134"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6138,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6134\/revisions\/6138"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}