“Pope Francis was a shining witness of a Church that bends with tenderness towards those who are wounded and heals with the balm of mercy. The Vatican said that a further 250,000 had earlier waited up to four hours to file past the open coffin in St Peter’s Basilica from 23 to 25 April. “He was a Pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone — a Pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the Church,” Cardinal Re said. “Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings, and hopes of this time of globalisation. Asked about fears that the Church risked “going backwards” under a more conservative Pope, Cardinal Nichols said that the conclave would be choosing “the successor to St Peter, not solely to Pope Francis”.
