The ‘Last Ones’ – poor, migrants, marginalized – to bid Pope Francis farewell before his burial

Published by [email protected] at April 25, 2025

Posted: Friday, April 25, 2025. 6:49 pm CST.

Photo Credit: Vatican Media

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Vatican News Editorial Director Andrea Tornielli reflected on the symbolic farewell given to Pope Francis by the poor and marginalized, stating that those considered the “last” would be the final ones to bid him goodbye. He noted that these individuals, waiting at the threshold of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, would welcome the Pope’s mortal remains as he is laid to rest beneath the maternal gaze of the icon of Salus Populi Romani.

Tornielli emphasized that Pope Francis’ final journey would not be crowned by the powerful but by those who had been central to his teachings—the poor, migrants, the homeless, and the marginalized, who also occupy a central place in the Gospel. He recalled Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell’s words upon announcing the Pope’s death, in which he highlighted Francis’ commitment to living the values of the Gospel with fidelity and universal love, particularly in service to the poorest.

Reflecting on Francis’ legacy, Tornielli cited the Pope’s early declaration in 2013: “How I would like a Church which is poor and for the poor!” He highlighted that Francis saw the Church’s preferential option for the poor as a theological principle rather than a political or social stance. This conviction shaped his papacy and was a theme running through his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.

Tornielli also linked Francis’ vision to the teachings of past Church leaders, including Pope St. John XXIII, who had described the Church as one that belongs to all, but especially to the poor. He referenced Church Fathers like Saint Ambrose and St. John Chrysostom, who advocated for the just distribution of wealth and the moral duty to care for the needy.

Finally, Tornielli stressed that Pope Francis’ focus on the poor was never about ideology or political interests. Instead, he was driven by the words of the Gospel and the tradition of the Church Fathers. He described the Pope’s invitation to overcome the “globalization of indifference” and his lifelong commitment to those Jesus called the “last.” Fittingly, it would be these very individuals who would accompany Francis on the last stage of his earthly journey, offering him their final embrace before his burial.

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