Pope Francisescu's funeral ceremony begins

Francescu was a <x0papape among people, open-hearted to all”, Cardinal Giovanni Batista Re said as the sermon continued.

“was rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today's challenges, Pope Francisescu truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalisation”, said Re, CNN.

“Gest and its incentives in favour of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant,” continued, noting that Francisco's first trip as a pope was to Lampedusa, an Italian island in the Mediterranean that has long been the first port of call for people passing through northern Africa.

“Faces the violent wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destructions, Pope Francis repeatedly raised his voice, praying for peace and calling for reasons and inviting honest negotiations to find possible solutions. The war, he said, resulted in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools, was always a worse pain than the world. Loss of all”, Re added.

Vatican authorities say around 200,000 people have gathered for Papa Francisescu's funeral.

In his final appearance the day before his death, Francescu gave the traditional Easter blessing from St. Peter's Basilica balcony in front of happy crowds. /Periscope/