The last trip of the Argentine pontiff was on a Papamovil who took his coffin to which his grave will be: the Roman basil of Santa María la Mayor.
The coffin left the walls of the Vatican at 12.30 local time through the Puerta del Perugino, which gives access to the one over his more than twelve years was his pontifical residence, the Santa Marta house.
Then, he undertook his route through this sunny and spring Rome over six kilometers in which, at all times, he was accompanied by thousands of people who crowded the sidewalks chanting their name, excited, or capturing the moment with their phones.
According to the Holy See, the funeral courtship through the streets of Rome brought together more than 150 thousand people.
After leaving the Vatican crossed one of the monumental bridges that save the banks of the Tiber River to immediately embocae the ‘Vittorio Emanuele’ Avenue to the Plaza de Largo Argentina, where Julio César fell murdered.
The Papamóvil bordered a Roman place of great value for the first Jesuit Pope in History, the Church of the ‘Gesù’, of the Society of Jesus, to later reach the huge Plaza de Venice, invaded by the works of the future line 3 of the Metro.
People piled up with the gates of the altar of the homeland and even at the heights of the monument, attending how Francisco headed to history.
The Papamobo toured with a solemn step but without pauses through the imperial forums, among the ancient palaces of ancient emperors and pontiffs, to end in the shadow of the colosseum that used to go on Good Friday to preside over the via Crucis.
That was one of the photos of his farewell and neither neighbors nor tourists wanted to miss it, saying goodbye to him.
After bordering the Flavio amphitheater, the vehicle was heading to its final destination: the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor, the same as before and after each apostolic trip he went to pray before his Virgin, the ‘Salus Populi Romani, of which he was very devout. The last time after leaving the hospital on March 23.
At the doors of the temple a group of poor and immigrants welcomed the coffin, in a final sign of respect for a pontiff that paid so much attention to the latter and discarded by society in their ministry.
The coffin was loaded on the shoulders by the thirsts pontificals and introduced in the temple with a procession guided by a crucifix and followed by monks, bishops, cardinals or other members of the clergy between songs and solemn choirs.
Before resting, the coffin was taken to the Paolina chapel to leave it briefly before the look of the virgin ‘Salus Populi Romani’, on whose altar some children left some baskets with some white roses.
Then, he was taken to the grave that Francisco commissioned in life, located right next to the Paolina chapel, which hosts said icon. His burial will be behind closed doors and the temple will open its doors again to the faithful from Sunday morning.
The Argentine Pope, who died last Monday at the age of 88, was fired this Saturday with a funeral in the Plaza de San Pedro del Vaticano attended by about 250 thousand people and delegations from some 140 countries and organizations in the world.
