Lookback: Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88. While around 400,000 faithful gathered in Rome on the following Saturday to say their final farewells, believers in the Saanenland and Obersimmental regions also paid tribute to the late pontiff in a simple but personal way.

At the age of 88, Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday – just one day after delivering the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing on Easter Sunday. He had been ill for some time, with pneumonia striking him particularly hard in recent months. For weeks, he had been under medical care in the hospital.

“I consider it a blessing to be called by God at Easter,” says Father Klaus Metsch from Leipzig, who is currently serving as interim parish priest at the Roman Catholic parish of St. Joseph in Gstaad.

Prayer cards and a National Memorial Service
Pope Francis lay in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, during which around 250,000 faithful came to bid him farewell. The official funeral service took place on Saturday with 400,000 attendees, including hundreds of heads of state and government, monarchs, and high-ranking dignitaries from politics and society. Unusually, Francis chose not to be buried at St. Peter’s Basilica, but in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. In his will, he cited his lifelong devotion to the Virgin Mary as the reason. His remains are now set to rest there.

Locally, in the Saanenland and Obersimmental, churches and congregations have also commemorated the late pope. Prayer cards have been laid out, explains Father Metsch. “We’ve also placed memorial portraits,” he says. A dedicated memorial service is not planned for the region, but “during upcoming Masses, I will humbly honour the life and work of the Pope.”

A national memorial service took place on Tuesday, the 29th, at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Bern, led by the Swiss Bishops and the Apostolic Nuncio (the Pope’s diplomatic representative).

The parish of St. Joseph in Gstaad is currently on a group pilgrimage. “But I am convinced it is in the spirit of Pope Francis that we carry on with this journey,” adds Father Metsch.

A Pope who moved many
“Pope Francis set important directions, especially for the modern Church,” emphasizes Father Metsch. “He was not a revolutionary, but a man of compassion who initiated many changes that must now be carried forward.” He addressed issues such as the role of women, celibacy, clericalism, and power structures within the Church. Francis was also deeply engaged in social concerns. “‘This economy kills’ – that quote is his. He sharply criticized global capitalism, without being a Marxist,” says Metsch. Crises such as climate change and the refugee situation were also close to his heart. He personally visited places like Lampedusa and Lesbos. “He was a liberation theologian. We can be grateful to have lived in the time of such a pope.”

Humble, close to the people, and unconventional: Pope Francis
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires on 17 December 1936. He was the eldest of five children in a family of Italian descent and grew up in modest circumstances.

After training as a chemical technician, he entered the Jesuit order in 1958. He studied philosophy and theology and was ordained a priest in 1969. In 1998, he became Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and three years later, Pope John Paul II made him a cardinal.

On March 13, 2013, he was elected pope—the first Latin American, the first Jesuit, and the first religious order member in centuries to take the papacy. He chose the name Francis, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, which symbolises humility, poverty, and care for the vulnerable.

Francis was known for his modesty and closeness to the people. He declined many traditional privileges and lived in the guesthouse Domus Sanctae Marthae instead of the Apostolic Palace. During his papacy, he implemented numerous reforms, such as opening leadership roles in the Church to laypeople and women.

He prioritised social justice, environmental protection, and building a Church that is open and close to its people. He strongly criticised capitalism and consumerism. Francis also promoted interfaith dialogue and had historic encounters with both Orthodox and Muslim leaders.

He will be remembered as the “Pope of the Poor” – and as a reformer who set many things in motion.

Based on AvS | JOP

How is a new Pope elected?

Following the death of a pope, a strictly regulated process begins to elect his successor. First, the death is officially confirmed. The so-called “Fisherman’s Ring,” the Pope’s seal, is destroyed, and the papal apartments are sealed. This marks the beginning of the Sede Vacante – the time during which the Holy See is unoccupied.

The pope’s body is transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica, where it lies in state for three days. The faithful and dignitaries are given time to pay their respects. A nine-day mourning period, known as the Novendiale, begins, with daily memorial masses.

The funeral usually takes place four to six days after the pope’s death, at a location chosen by the deceased. Traditionally, this is at St. Peter’s, but Pope Francis requested burial at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. After the burial, the College of Cardinals assumes leadership of the Church on interim matters.

The conclave begins – the secret gathering of eligible cardinals to elect a new pope. All cardinals under the age of 80 (135 in the upcoming conclave) travel to Rome. The conclave begins no sooner than 15 and no later than 20 days after the pope’s death. The cardinals seclude themselves in the Sistine Chapel, and a two-thirds majority is required to elect a new pope. After each vote, the ballots are burned: black smoke signals an unsuccessful vote, white smoke means a new pope has been chosen.

The chosen candidate is asked if he accepts the election, selects a papal name, and then appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s. With the words “Habemus Papam”, the Church announces the new pontiff to the world.