EDITOR’S NOTE: The following are observations from Christopher Dixon, who is studying in Rome with fellow diocesan seminarian Michael Rhatican.
ROME — I was able to visit the Pope Francis’ coffin on Friday morning. It wasn’t a particularly prayerful experience, as there was a large crowd being pushed through the path by security, around the square, past the holy door and then to his body. For me, this process took about 45 minutes, but others waited in line for three hours.
On Saturday, the seminarians and priests left the North American College at 7 a.m. There were two or three crowd control points and two layers of metal detectors to get into the square, which took about an hour and a half.
Once in St. Peter’s Square, a Rosary began a little after 9:15. The square felt much like the closing Mass of World Youth Day in Lisbon two years ago — lots of people, lots of clapping, teenagers sleeping.
As the Rosary continued, the screens of the broadcast in the square showed us the world leaders paying their respects to the late Pope Francis.
As Mass began, the cardinals began to line up to exit the basilica. This was one of the most powerful moments. The cardinals did not exit the basilica. They instead waited and watched their brother, Pope Francis, exit the basilica first. As the Pope’s body exited the basilica, he was met with applause.
Another powerful moment took place at the end of Mass. We prayed the Litany of the Saints, but instead of “pray for us,” we said, “pray for him.” Soon thereafter, the bishops and patriarchs of the Eastern sui iuris Catholic churches came out and sang the Paschal Troparion.
The final powerful moment took place after Mass as I was walking back to the seminary. I desperately wanted shade and a seat (I had been standing in the sun in the black cassock for five hours). I saw some nearby crowds and unexpectedly saw the popemobile. It turns out the hearse for the deceased pope was the Popemobile. As his coffin passed by, applause erupted once more along with “A Dio Papa.”