LAST UPDATE | 27 Apr

Diarmuid Pepper Diarmuid Pepper reports from Rome

TECHNICALLY, IT WAS Mass to mark the second day of mourning for Pope Francis but in reality, it turned into a celebration of Carlo Acutis.

Acutis died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15 and was due to become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint in a canonisation today at the Vatican.

It was due to take place during the Jubilee of Teenagers – part of the overall Jubilee Year of the Church – which ends today after a drastically changed schedule.

That canonisation was postponed due to the death of Francis, but hundreds of thousands of people who had plans in place to be in Rome for that event came instead for the funeral of Francis yesterday.

Second day of mourning for Pope Francis to begin with Mass for Vatican workers, but it’s turned into an event for Carlos Acutis, who was due to be canonised today @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/ZVbMrvHyvz

— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9) April 27, 2025

Cardinal Pietro Parolin celebrates Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday in suffrage for Pope Francis, marking the second day of the Novemdiales, or 'nine days' of mourning for the late Pope.

Around 200,000 young people attended the Mass, which took place during the scheduled Jubilee for… pic.twitter.com/Hia8yqpptj

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 27, 2025

When a pope dies, Cardinals will oversee “Novendialies” Masses — nine days of mourning marked by solemn Masses for the soul of the deceased pope.

The first of these masses was yesterday, the pope’s funeral.

The second was this morning, ostensibly a Mass held for Vatican workers and people who live in the world’s smallest city state.

Celebration of Beatification of Carlo Acutis at the Assisi Upper Church of San Francis on 10 Oct, 2020 Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

But it became a celebration of Carlo, with the streets of Rome a sea of teenagers wearing caps and t-shirts bearing his image.

Entire streets were closed down to allow a sea of teenagers to pass through on their way to the Vatican.

The jubilee of teenagers has attracted insane crowds to Rome, entire streets short down to facilitate them @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/MYCYnCpulx

— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9) April 27, 2025

Many Irish people were also in Rome this weekend to see the canonisation but came instead for Francis.

James McLoughlin, the youth ministry director for the Diocese of Clogher , was one of those who still travelled to Rome despite these plans changing.

“Travelling to Rome originally was a celebration of Carlo’s life, and so it is now for Francis,” said McLoughlin.

“It’s a celebration, though obviously one tinged with sadness.”

James McLoughlin (modelling a Pope Francis t-shirt) at the departure gates in Dublin Airport on Friday morning

Father Michael Toomey and his group of pilgrims also had their plans changed at the last minute.

He was originally due to come to Rome to act as a spiritual guide for young Irish people attending the canonisation.

“They still decided to come because of the historic nature of the event,” said Fr Toomey of the group.

“So while the group is saddened the canonisation isn’t happening, they’re still humbled and honoured to be here for Pope Francis’s funeral.”

Dubliner Marie Heraughty was also in Rome, originally to attend the canonisation, and said Acutis event interceded on her group’s behalf yesterday.

Like so many, Marie Heraughty was over for originally for the Canonisation of Carlos Acutis. She said he even came through for her group today, when a prayer to him fixed the big screen that was in the blink at St Peter’s. @thejournal_ie pic.twitter.com/8KQCGJsotJ

— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9) April 26, 2025

“We got a favour from Carlo Acutis this morning,” said Heraughty with a laugh, “because the big screen in front of us wasn’t working.

“So we all gathered and prayed to Carlos Acutis and it started working again.”

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who acted as the Vatican’s Secretary of State, presided over the Mass this morning from St Peter’s Square.

During the homily, Cardinal Parolin paid special thanks to the employees and faithful of Vatican City.

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“To you, to all of us, to the whole world, Pope Francis extends his embrace from Heaven.

Parolin noted that the Gospel as today’s Mass was about the risen Jesus appearing to his disciples “in the Upper Room where they have fearfully shut themselves in, with the doors locked”.

“They experienced terrible things and feel orphaned, alone, lost, threatened and helpless.

“The opening image that the Gospel offers us on this Sunday can also well represent the state of mind of all of us, of the Church, and of the entire world.

“The shepherd whom the Lord gave to his people, Pope Francis, has ended his earthly life and has left us.”

The moment the cardinals and bishops began to depart Pope Francis’s funeral to applause from those gathered as he made his way to Santa Maria Maggiore pic.twitter.com/xahccxZCi5

— Diarmuid Pepper (@Diarmuid_9) April 26, 2025

He then noted that young people in the Square from all over the world and added that Francis would have loved to have been there to meet them.

Parolin noted “technology and artificial intelligence” as among the principle challenges they must grapple with.

Parolin is one of the Cardinals deemed to be “papabile” – the closest English translation is “pope-able”.

He said that the affection being shown to Francis following his death “must not remain a mere emotion of the moment”.

“We must welcome his legacy and make it part of our lives, opening ourselves to God’s mercy and also being merciful to one another.”

Diarmuid Pepper will be reporting from Rome throughout the weekend – you can follow him on X here.