The world paused on Saturday, 26 April 2025, draped in solemnity and reflection, as leaders, dignitaries, and faithful mourners gathered in Vatican City to bid farewell to one of the most transformative religious figures of the modern era, Pope Francis. The burial ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica surpassed the commonplace bounds of a traditional farewell. It was a historic convergence of the world’s political, religious, and moral compass points, drawn together by the death of a special creature of God – Pope Francis. He was the iconic shepherd, who smelled exactly like his sheep, who embraced the poor and marginalised, and who sought to bridge divides in a fractured world. In life as in death, this special breed of Catholic Pontiff defied conventions and reaffirmed the values he preached – humility and simplicity- and whose radical choice in an age of opulence and ostentation, cuts like a prophetic sword!
Present at the sombre occasion were an extraordinary array of global figures – U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena, Irish President Michael D. Higgins, and Nigeria’s Senate President Godswill Akpabio, among others. Their collective presence underscored the profound impact of Pope Francis’ 12-year papacy on global affairs, transcending political, cultural, and religious boundaries.
The Argentine-born pope, often called “the people’s Pope,” remained a towering figure of compassion and reform, even as he faced resistance from conservatives within the Catholic Church. In his final Easter Sunday appearance, the frail but resolute pontiff made a touching impromptu ride into St. Peter’s Square, thrilling the gathered faithful and embodying once again the humility and closeness that defined his papacy.
At the funeral, Cardinal Battista Re captured the essence of Pope Francis’ legacy in a moving homily, describing him as “a pope among the people, with an open heart toward everyone.” Re further noted, “He established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalised.”
Indeed, Pope Francis’ life was a testament to servant leadership. He stood as a bulwark for the forgotten, the persecuted, and the downtrodden. He used the papal platform not for self-aggrandizement, but to amplify the voices of the voiceless and to challenge the world’s conscience on issues such as poverty, immigration, climate change, and war. His death is not just the end of a life well-lived; it is a call for the world to rekindle the values he espoused.
Even amidst the solemnity, significant political undertones hovered over Vatican City. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a brief but reportedly “productive” private meeting before the funeral, according to White House communications director, Steve Cheung. Although scant details were released, the significance of this dialogue cannot be overstated. It was their first meeting since a fiery Oval Office clash in February regarding a peace settlement over Ukraine’s protracted war with Russia.
In a world where confrontation often seems the default setting, the Pope’s funeral provided a rare, if fleeting, setting for dialogue between leaders at odds. While it is too early to assess the fruits of the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting, the symbolism is potent. At a time of mourning for a man of peace, two leaders representing nations entangled in the world’s most dangerous conflict found themselves face-to-face. It would be the ultimate tribute to Pope Francis if this moment marked the beginning of renewed efforts for peace, not just in Ukraine but across all theatres of global discord.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urging Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to “stop shooting” in Ukraine and “sign a deal,” while speaking a day after the historic meeting with Mr. Zelenskyy, tended to add a complicated twist to the fragile hope for the peaceful resolution of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The question now facing the international community is simple yet profound. Will the words spoken under the emotional weight of the Pope’s funeral translate into real political will and diplomatic breakthroughs? President Trump’s remarks, suggesting that a peace deal is within grasp, and revealing that he believes Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is willing to relinquish Crimea as part of an agreement, open a fresh controversial territory in the debate over how to end Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II. They also expose the underlying tensions and complexities that a true peace settlement would entail.
It seems easy to talk about peace during moments of great mourning. The real challenge is converting that sentiment into actionable policy. Pope Francis’ funeral provided a setting where the world’s leaders could even for a fleeting moment imagine a world without the endless churn of war. Trump’s comments could represent a pivot in U.S. diplomatic strategy, but success will depend on more than just public declarations. It will require moving from rhetoric to practical actionable strategies. Basically, it impels genuine engagement with both Kyiv and Moscow in building a framework for negotiations that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty while finding a path for Russia to de-escalate and careful diplomacy to ensure that any peace deal does not become a blueprint for future aggression elsewhere, rewarding the use of force.
In this critical moment, world leaders would do well to recall the life and teachings of the man they gathered to honor – Pope Francis. He understood that peace built on injustice is a fragile peace; that reconciliation requires truth, accountability, and respect for human dignity. Pope Francis was not a pacifist in the naïve sense. He acknowledged the complexities of geopolitics, the stubbornness of human pride, and the deep wounds of history. Yet he never wavered in calling for dialogue, mercy, and the tireless pursuit of common ground.
If Trump, Putin, Zelenskyy, and others truly wish to honour the spirit of Pope Francis, they must approach peace not as a quick political victory but as a solemn, sacred task. They must commit to a process that prioritizes the welfare of millions over the pride of men. They must listen, truly listen to the cries of the widowed, the orphaned, the displaced, and the wounded. It is not enough to say “stop shooting.” They must also build a world where shooting never starts again.
In the final analysis, the most fitting tribute these world leaders can offer to Pope Francis is not merely their physical presence at his burial, nor the carefully crafted tributes spoken in Vatican corridors. It is action. It is the commitment to embody in statecraft the same humanity that the Pope embodied in his ministry. The drums of war have grown deafening in recent years in different parts of the globe. Yet, if the funeral of a man who consistently preached peace does not cause a global introspection about the path humanity treads, one wonders what then will?
The world is at an inflection point; rising nationalism, racial tensions, economic inequality, and geopolitical brinkmanship threaten the fragile post-World War II order. In such a volatile era, the message of Pope Francis, a message of radical empathy, inclusivity, and peace must be urgently heeded. Political leaders must move beyond performative gestures. They must engage in sincere diplomacy, open their hearts to compromise, and view negotiation not as weakness but as strength. They must pluck the strings of peace, even if the chords sound unfamiliar and dissonant at first. In this sense, every global leader who walked into St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday carries with them an implicit mandate – to leave the world better than they found it, to opt for dialogue over diatribe, to prioritise the dignity of human life over territorial ambition and political vanity.
The humanity Pope Francis demonstrated, reaching out to the marginalised, championing the cause of the refugee, confronting climate change naysayers, and visiting conflict zones, is not reserved for religious figures alone. It should be the core of every leader’s public service ethos. Imagine a world where the leaders present at the Vatican on Saturday became ambassadors of the Pope’s vision; where Zelenskyy and Putin chose negotiation over attrition; where America and China steered their rivalry towards healthy competition rather than cold-war hostility; where Nigeria’s Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, carried home not just memories of grandeur, but a renewed zeal for social justice and galvanic purposefulness channeled towards nation-building.
Imagine Europe, a continent currently rattled by racism and xenophobia, re-embracing inclusivity and brotherhood in the spirit of Francis’ teachings. Imagine Africa’s leaders being inspired to heal their fractured societies with policies that prioritize the common good. This is not naïve idealism. It is the urgent realism demanded by the precariousness of our times. It is the realism Pope Francis dared to preach with unyielding hope, often at great personal cost.
As Pope Francis is laid to rest, the world must confront an uncomfortable but necessary question. Will his death simply be another news cycle footnote, or will it be a clarion call for change? History teaches us that funerals of great leaders are inflection points. They either usher in periods of reflection leading to renewal or become missed opportunities, buried alongside the visionary in their grave. The leaders who gathered in Rome must resist the temptation to allow this to be a passing moment of diplomatic niceties. Instead, they must recognize that the convergence at St. Peter’s Basilica was not a mere coincidence of schedules. It was providential. It was a summons, a summons to halt the march toward greater division and war, a summons to rekindle the flame of shared humanity, a summons to build a world that mirrors the inclusive, compassionate spirit of Pope Francis.
His burial was a reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring hunger for peace that transcends nations, races, and creeds. Whether President Trump’s diplomatic moves will lead to a breakthrough or a dead end remains to be seen. But one thing is certain. The opportunity is there. The burden of history and the hope of millions rests on the shoulders of today’s leaders. The world has mourned a man of peace. Now, it must strive to become what he dreamed of, a community of nations where wars are no longer necessary, and where, at last, humanity chooses the harder, holier path of peace. In honouring the life of this exceptionally remarkable Pope, the world must not simply mourn. It must move; it must act; it must change. The people’s Pope has left a blueprint. It is now up to us the people and our leaders to build upon it.