By Jose Oby 
Tens of thousands of mourners, along with world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump, filled St. Peter’s Square on Saturday to honor Pope Francis, the beloved advocate for the poor and the Catholic Church’s first Latin American leader.
Some mourners waited overnight to secure a place at the ceremony, with police estimating around 150,000 people crowded into the square and surrounding streets even before proceedings began at 10:00 a.m. (0900 GMT).
Applause and cheers erupted as the pope’s coffin was carried out of St. Peter’s Basilica into the open square. Over 50 heads of state attended, many of whom paid their respects at the coffin beforehand, including Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Britain’s Prince William, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky — who also met briefly with Trump, according to a Ukrainian spokesperson.
Throughout his 12-year papacy, Francis worked to guide the Church toward greater inclusivity, a legacy that triggered a profound wave of mourning around the world following his death on Monday at the age of 88.