The Vatican has become the epicenter of a historic farewell. Hundreds of thousands of faithful and world leaders have begun to arrive in Rome to pay tribute to Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88 after a decade of papacy marked by simplicity, defense of the most vulnerable and a constant invitation to renew the Church.

Since Wednesday, the body of the Argentinean pontiff has been lying in the funeral chapel in St. Peter's Basilica, dressed in his papal vestments and holding the rosary intertwined in his hands. In the early hours of Wednesday, more than 20,000 people passed by his coffin, and that number is expected to multiply in the days leading up to the funeral.

On Saturday, the Vatican will host the funeral in the presence of about 170 foreign delegations. Among them will be Presidents Donald Trump (United States), Javier Milei (Argentina), Emmanuel Macron (France), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil) and Volodymyr Zelensky (Ukraine). European royalty such as Prince William of the United Kingdom and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will also attend.

Security in Rome will be reinforced with an unprecedented operation, in a weekend that already coincided with a national holiday in Italy. It is estimated that several hundred thousand people will mobilize around the Vatican City.

Francis will be buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, his favorite church in Rome, in a simple tomb marked only with his Latin name: Franciscus. In doing so, he will fulfill the wish expressed in his will: to rest humbly, without monuments, in the heart of the eternal city.

In the meantime, the succession protocol begins to unfold. Although no date has yet been set for the conclave, it is expected to begin between 15 and 20 days after his death. Only cardinals under the age of 80 (currently about 135) will be eligible to vote. The official period of mourning, known as novemdiales, will begin this Saturday and will last until May 4.

The world thus bids farewell to a pope who, despite his health problems in recent years, maintained his commitment to the people until the end. On Easter Sunday, just one day before his death, Francis greeted the faithful from the popemobile in St. Peter's Square, kissing children and handing out blessings with effort visible on his face.

His death marks the end of an era. But it also raises questions about the future of a Church that, under his leadership, tried to keep pace with the challenges of the 21st century, without losing sight of the marginalized and the transforming power of mercy.

With information from AFP