Source: Orthodox Church in America
ROME, ITALY [OCA] With the blessing of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, a delegation of the Orthodox Church in America traveled to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, who reposed on April 21, 2025. The delegation, appointed by His Beatitude, was comprised of His Grace Bishop Andrei of Cleveland, Auxiliary to the Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, and Archpriest Alessandro Margheritino, Acting Chancellor and Secretary of the Orthodox Church in America.
The funeral services took place on Saturday, April 26, in Saint Peter’s Square, where an estimated 400,000 people gathered. Upon their arrival on April 25, His Grace and Father Alessandro were formally received in Rome by an official of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, and were accompanied to St. Peter’s Basilica, where the Pope was laid.
The next day, the OCA delegation joined representatives from nearly all the local Orthodox Churches, as well as numerous leaders from other Christian traditions and religious communities around the world. The solemn occasion served as an opportunity for Bishop Andrei and Father Alessandro to convey Metropolitan Tikhon’s condolences and prayers to representatives of the Vatican.
The funeral also provided an opportunity for Bishop Andrei and Fr. Alessandro to greet on behalf of Metropolitan Tikhon representatives from the other Orthodox Churches, including His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop Ioan of Tirana and all Albania, His Beatitude Metropolitan Rastislav of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and His Eminence Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk, among many others.
On Sunday, April 27, at the invitation of His Grace Siluan, Bishop of the Romanian Diocese of Italy of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Bishop Andrei presided at the Divine Liturgy at the parish of The Entry into Jerusalem of Our Lord in Rome. Concelebrating with His Grace were Fr. Alessandro and Archpriest Gheorghe Militaru, Episcopal Vicar and parish rector.
The Orthodox Church in America expresses its condolences on the repose of Pope Francis and offers prayers for the repose of his soul, in the hope of the Resurrection and life of the age to come.