After Pope Francis’ death on April 20, 2025, on the first day of his lying state on April 23, Sister Genevieve Jeanningros was seen approaching the restricted area at the St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. She broke a Vatican protocol that day as that area was only reserved for priests, cardinals, and bishops so that they could pay their final respects to the Pope.
As reported by PEOPLE, “According to footage shared on social media, the nun was seen approaching a rope surrounding Francis’s coffin with help from an official.” The media outlet further mentioned, “Standing a few feet from the casket, Genevieve wept and placed her hands on her face, appearing to be emotionally moved.”
NBC News also reported that when she started to weep, no one made attempts to console or stop her and instead gave her some time to grieve. As reported by the Agence France-Presse, the nun first met the Pope in 2005 when she came to Buenos Aires from Rome for the burial of Leonie Duquet, another French nun and her aunt.
The day before the Pope’s funeral, on April 25, 2025, nun Genevieve Jeanningros was interviewed by Noticias Telemundo. In that short interview in Spanish, she said, Pope Francis was “a brother, a pope, [and] a friend.” She also mentioned that she pays him her respects everyday and also planned to attend his funeral.
She also said, “He will be missed by everyone. And I’m moved to see so many people here today.” According to Reuters, last year in July, the Pope had gone to Ostia, a Roman neighborhood to visit nun Genevieve who has been consistently doing great work with the LGBTQ+ community.
As reported by PEOPLE, “The nun would also visit Francis every week and bring a group of LGBTQ+ community members with her, after he resumed receiving public audiences following the COVID pandemic.” The AFP mentioned Genevieve used to write little messages to the Pope to let him know beforehand about who was to visit him.
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PEOPLE also reported, “The funeral Mass, presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, began at 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, April 26. Afterward, Francis’ coffin was transported to St. Mary Major, where he chose to be interred, marking a break with precedent and becoming the first pope in over 100 years not to be buried at St. Peter’s.”
Besides the nun, world leaders like American President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and future UK King Prince William also attended the funeral. Zelenskyy and Trump also had a meeting at Saint Peter’s Basilica before the funeral, which also highlighted their meeting for the first time following that meltdown at the White House.
