Christians gather at Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre to mourn Pope Francis

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Crowds have gathered in Jerusalem at one of the Christian faith's holiest sites to mark the death of Pope Francis. His criticism of the war in Gaza and the suffering of the Palestinian people was a hallmark of his final years. The faithful who gathered in the old city remembered Pope Francis's bravery while praying for whoever succeeds him as pontiff.

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00:00This is a place of pilgrimage for the Christian faith and for those who've come here today.

00:07It's a chance to commemorate the life of Pope Francis in one of Christianity's holiest places.

00:12Definitely having it here is very special because this is the place of the resurrection of Jesus.

00:19His death and resurrection, so for us people of faith, this is where we say death is not the end

00:26because Jesus proved it with his resurrection.

00:29Flanked by Jerusalem's Kavassas, the Ottoman-era ceremonial guards who escort the patriarchs of the Christian churches through the old city,

00:38armed with their wooden and metal staffs, was the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem,

00:42the Holy City's most senior Catholic, Cardinal Pier Battista Pizzaballa,

00:46a man whose name has recently been thrown into the mix as a potential successor to Pope Francis,

00:51presiding over the memorial mass before heading to Rome for the late Pontiff's funeral.

00:56Of course there is great significance in this service being held here at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,

01:01where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried.

01:05But at this time, when there is war raging a short distance away in Gaza,

01:10and the Pope had made repeated criticisms of that conflict,

01:13of the bombardment of the Palestinian territory there,

01:17and the unimaginable devastation and destruction which has been wrought there,

01:21his death is being very keenly felt in this region,

01:24not only among Catholics and among Christians,

01:26but the broader population, Palestinians as well,

01:29who saw him as a leader for a region that is so often wrought by turmoil and division.

01:35We as a church, our point of view is to fight or to speak about the justice,

01:45and not only to speak, to live.

01:48The situation in our country is not good.

01:51He was helping the people in Gaza, you know, the war.

01:56This is the most important thing.

01:58Certainly he was courageous. I can tell you, I can see that and it's appreciated.

02:02Not by everybody, that's yes.

02:04For a church steeped in centuries-old tradition,

02:07a service to commemorate a man regularly described as breaking the mould,

02:12for a congregation who will be watching very closely as to who comes next.

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