Hundreds of thousands of mourners packed into St. Peter’s Square Saturday morning in Rome to say farewell to Pope Francis, remembered as an everyman who had an uncompromising sense of equality who “chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life.” 

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the funeral mass, recalling that Francis’ 12 years as head of the Catholic church was marked by his calls for peace and reason, “inviting honest negotiation to find possible solutions.”

“His heart was open to the marginalized … He often reminded us that we all belonged to the same human family and that no one is saved alone,” Re told the audience of mourners, which included world leaders and everyday people.

The cardinal noted that the late pontiff pushed through his health issues to continue serving as head of the church, even guiding Easter mass the day before his death.

“The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of last Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite his serious health problems, wanted to give us his blessing from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica,” Re said.

He continued: “with our prayers, we now entrust the soul of our beloved Pontiff to God, that he may grant him eternal happiness in the bright and glorious gaze of his immense love.”

The crowd briefly applauded as the cardinal mentioned Francis’ long history of ministering to migrants — his first trip during his papacy outside of Rome was to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa to pay tribute to the thousands of people who had drowned in the Mediterranean while trying to reach Europe and a better life.

Cardinal Re closed the solemn homily with a familiar phrase that reduced many in the crowd to tears: “Do not forget to pray for me” — a tender expression with which Francis always ended his audiences and meetings.

Some 250,000 faithful, including dozens who spent the night sleeping on the concrete, watched on as the Pope’s body was carried into the Vatican plaza at 10 a.m. Thousands more lined the streets outside the basilica.

The guest list included President Trump and First Lady Melania; former President Joe Biden and first lady Jill; Prince William; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Trump and Melania managed to get front-row seats to Pope Francis’ funeral, scoring better spots than other heads of government like UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, as well as high-ranking cardinals and bishops.

The Bidens were seated farther back in the foreign dignitaries section. The former president was spotted taking selfies before the service began. 

Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron were seen shaking hands during the mass’ “sign of the peace” — the pair’s firm, almost violent handshakes have been a topic of discussion since Trump nearly dragged Macron to the ground during a meeting last year.

The President also met privately with Zelensky for a “very productive discussion” before the funeral mass, where the destruction and inhumanity brought on by war in Ukraine were heavily discussed during Re’s homily.

The pontiff’s simple wooden coffin, adorned with just a crucifix and Francis’ coat of arms, was laid in the Vatican plaza.

American journalist Kielce Gussie recited the first reading at the ceremony, an honor she only learned she would hold three days prior.

The 28-year-old Florida native writes for the Vatican News, the news portal of the Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church.

The funeral ceremony follows the three days of public viewing of Francis’ body inside the basilica, which was kept open all night to accommodate the staggering flock of mourners who had come to pay their final respects.

After the pontiff’s body was carried from a private ceremony at the Vatican, Francis’ simple wooden casket was placed on an inclined ramp on the main altar of the 16th-century basilica, facing the pews — not on an elevated bier as his predecessors were before him.

The break in tradition was in keeping with Francis’ own wishes for all the rituals surrounding a papal funeral to be simplified and reflect the pope’s role as a simple pastor, not a world leader.

Francis also forwent being buried in three nested coffins — one made of cypress, one made of lead, and one made of elm.

He kept plenty of traditions in place, however, including being buried with 12 minted coins, one for each year of his papacy.

Following his funeral, the pope was transported to a niche within St. Mary Major Basilica for a private burial near his favorite Madonna icon, making him the first pontiff to be buried in the basilica since Clement IX, born Giulio Rospigliosi, who died in 1669.

Most popes are laid to rest inside the Vatican Grottoes, a network of underground chambers and chapels located beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, but Francis chose the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major because he often visited the ancient church to pray before and after his travels.

His casket was met by about 40 migrants, prisoners, homeless and transgender people each holding a white rose. Their inclusion was emblematic of his care for the marginalized. 

The burial ceremony was private, attended by top cardinals and people close to the pope.

Mourners were offered a final glimpse at Francis’ casket during a slow procession to the grounds — and he was driven in the popemobile.

An unofficial conclave has already begun, insiders told The Post, noting that Cardinals who had traveled to Rome for the funeral have been having informal discussions about the future leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Francis died Monday at 88 after a stroke, following a long battle with his health.

He surprised parishioners at the beginning of the month when he was wheeled out with an oxygen tank at the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square, marking his first public appearance since he was hospitalized on Feb. 14 for bronchitis, which developed into a bout of double pneumonia.

Francis seemed to regain his strength and led this year’s Easter Sunday mass, walking down the very same aisle where the procession marched his body for public viewing later in the week.