Moldovan president attends funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis

Pope Francis was a bridge between people, religions and nations. President Maia Sandu, who attended the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis, made statements to this effect today.

On behalf of all citizens, the head of state paid tribute to the former Pontiff, who dedicated his life to promoting compassion and equity, as well as solidarity among people and nations.

"In the name of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova, I paid tribute to the one who always chose the path of goodness, compassion and solidarity," said Maia Sandu.

The funeral of Pope Francis started on Saturday, shortly after 10:00 local time, with the procession of the coffin followed by the concelebrating cardinals from the Basilica into St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, where it was met with a standing ovation by tens of thousands present. Thus, more heads of state and crowned heads, as well as approximately 250,000 people were present on St. Peter's Square and its surroundings.

The burial of the deceased Pontiff took place in private, closed to the public. The Vatican informed that those who want would be able to visit Pope Francis's tomb in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica as of 27 April.

Pope Francis died on 21 April morning at the age of 88. He inaugurated a new age of leadership in the Roman Catholic Church, when he was elected Pope in 2013. Pope Francis brought many reforms to the church, but was known for his modesty and closeness to people.

Among his significant achievements, there are are the papal encyclical Laudato si (Praise Be to You, 2015), which addressed the climate crisis and supported good environmental stewardship, his efforts to promote unity among Catholics, non-Catholics and non-Christians, as well as his historic apologies to those who endured sexual abuse by clergy.

Pope Francis, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is the first Jesuit pope, brought up outside Europe since Syrian Pope Gregory III in the 8th century.