On the late afternoon of the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, the College of Cardinals gathered at the Basilica to pay homage to Pope Francis. His tomb, open to the public since 7:00 AM, welcomed a continuous flow of faithful throughout the day.
The cardinals arrived at Saint Mary Major before 4:00 PM, traveling by shuttle buses from the Paul VI Hall in Vatican City. Their arrival was accompanied by flashes from photographers, video recordings, and smartphone clicks from the long queue of faithful gathered on the basilica’s forecourt. Among the crowd were young participants from the Jubilee of Adolescents. The cardinals proceeded solemnly through the Holy Door in a procession that led to the tomb of Pope Francis.
Before the cardinals, Cardinal Santos Abril y Castelló, the Archpriest Emeritus of the Basilica, had a private moment of prayer. He was the same cardinal who had accompanied the newly elected Pope Francis on his first visit to Saint Mary Major the day after his election.
One by one, or in small groups of three, the cardinals stopped in front of the tomb. Some remained in prayer for a few moments, reciting a Hail Mary, while others made the Sign of the Cross, took a photograph, or knelt briefly. Behind them, groups of worshippers joined in, and others continued to arrive during the celebration to pay their respects. By the end of the day, an estimated twenty thousand people had visited the tomb.
The cardinals then gathered in the Pauline Chapel, adjacent to the tomb, under the gaze of the Salus Populi Romani icon, a sacred image traditionally believed to have been painted by St. Luke. Pope Francis had knelt before this icon 126 times during his pontificate—initially on his knees and, in later years, in a wheelchair—to give thanks for successful apostolic journeys, medical procedures, or simply to offer a humble greeting.
Facing the revered icon, the cardinals prayed together in silence before entering the central nave to celebrate Second Vespers. The service was presided over by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the coadjutor archpriest. Groups of faithful joined the cardinals during the prayer, while the flow of visitors to the tomb remained uninterrupted. The confessionals also continued to serve penitents throughout the celebration.
As the cardinals sang the psalms, prayers were offered in various languages for Pope Francis, asking that “the Risen Lord welcome him into the dwelling place of light and peace.”
The prayer service lasted just over half an hour, a solemn and heartfelt tribute to the life and legacy of Pope Francis.
