Pope Francis's tomb seen for the first time: Opened to public visitation

The first images of the tomb of Pope Francis, the spiritual leader of Catholics and Head of State of the Vatican, have been shared. The 88-year-old Pope Francis, who had been struggling with respiratory issues for some time, passed away on April 21.

The Pope was laid to rest at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome and opened to public visitation.

250 THOUSAND PEOPLE ATTENDED THE HISTORIC FUNERAL CEREMONY

The funeral ceremony held for Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square witnessed one of the most significant attendances in history. According to the statement from the Vatican Press Office, 250 thousand people attended the ceremony, while more than 200 cardinals and over 700 bishops and priests were also present.

TOMB OPENED TO THE PUBLIC

In an announcement made by the Vatican Press Office, it was reported that Pope Francis' tomb has been opened to visitors. In the first images released, it was noted that the Pope's tomb was arranged in a very simple and modest manner.

WORLD LEADERS MET AT THE VATICAN

Numerous heads of state and high-level officials from all over the world attended the ceremony. US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Argentine President Javier Milei, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, King Felipe VI of Spain, Prince William from the British Royal Family, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer were present at the ceremony. Additionally, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa were among the names who attended the funeral.

Turkey was represented at the ceremonies by Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Numan Kurtulmuş.

THE FIRST POPE BURIED OUTSIDE THE VATICAN IN 100 YEARS

Pope Francis went down in history as the first spiritual leader to be buried outside the Vatican in more than 100 years. Speaking at the ceremony, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re emphasized that Pope Francis stood out throughout his papacy for his sensitivity, particularly regarding migrants and migration movements.