Lewisham woman attends Pope Francis’s funeral in Rome
A Lewisham woman queued from 3:30am last Saturday, to attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Vatican City, Rome.
Nana Anto-Awuakye, from Brockley, joined an estimated 250,000 who gathered inside St Peter’s Square marking the culmination of days of mourning.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, just a day after making his final public appearance to offer greetings from a balcony at St Peter’s Basilica.
There was an “amazing and moving atmosphere”, Ms Anto-Awuakye said, with “lots of tears, but also joy and praise for the Pope.”
She said: “When I arrived and joined the queue, there were people rolling up their sleeping bags who had camped out overnight, determined to get their spot in the Square.”
Authorities in Rome and the Vatican stepped up security measures to deal with the huge numbers flocking to say farewell.
Ms Anto-Awuakye, who works for international development charity Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) said Pope Francis’s death marked the end of a papacy that inspired millions.
An ardent supporter since his election in 2013, Ms Anto-Awuakye said: “Pope Francis has been a beacon for the world.
“Not just for those within the Catholic Church, which I belong to, but for people of all faiths and even those without. He had this rare ability to connect with everyone.
“He called for the protection of our planet, dignity for refugees, and spoke out against war.”
Ms Anto-Awuakye said Pope Francis’s legacy was defined by hope which she felt in her own Lewisham community.
She said: “Every day, I see the hope he spoke about.
“In my parish church, St. Mary Magdalen’s, I see people welcoming strangers to coffee mornings. At Lewisham Hospital, I see staff giving their all to care for the sick.
“In the community residents donating to the Lewisham Food Bank and the Donation Hub.
“Pope Francis may have left us, but the message of hope he championed is alive and well in Lewisham.”
Pictured top: Nana Anto-Awuakye attended Pope Francis’ funeral in Vatican City, Rome on Saturday (Picture: Nana Anto-Awuakye)
