Eyewitness: Pope’s smile will be hard to replace but at the Vatican, people are focused on the future

By Adam Parsons, Europe correspondent, in Vatican City

The Vatican is in mourning and yet St Peter’s Square is full of smiles. These are not the smiles of joy or laughter, but of satisfaction and profound gratitude.

So this is a story about two people who are smiling when we meet them, despite the stress and strain they must be feeling. 

One is facing spiritual questions; the other is carrying the sort of professional burden that might crush any of us. 

And yet, in the Roman sunshine, they exude a sense of calm.

Francis will be ‘very hard to replace’

First, there is Sister Mary, standing on the edge of the crowd in St Peter’s Square, dressed in a blue habit, blessed with a welcoming grin.

A decade ago, she came to Rome from Kenya and devoted herself to the Catholic faith. She tells me that the world is facing “a sad moment – a very sad moment – because the Pope left us abruptly”, but she is determined to see the good in the situation.

“We had seen him on Sunday and then by the next morning, he was gone. 

“It is tough but then you see we live in the hope of the resurrection and I don’t think it is a coincidence that he stayed with us on Sunday and then has been taken, so we pray for him.”

She met the Pope at a special mass for the military and described him as a “loving and embracing” person who will be “very hard to replace”.

Sister Mary, her cross dangling from her neck, added: “I will remember him especially for his smile, his love, his humility – a man who gave us hope even when we thought everything was lost.”

For her, the challenge is to stay positive and to believe that good can emerge from sadness; that a successor will be found who can live up to the man she admired so much.

“It will be hard,” she says. “But God through the Holy Spirit will give us a good pope.”

Her pleasure in life is intoxicating, and she seems to have confidence that things will turn out well. 

The man whose job it is to keep world leaders safe at funeral

And it is matched by the next person we talk to – not a nun, not a religious figure or even a travelling mourner. Matteo Sgamma is a policeman wearing the beret of military training and exuding an in-depth knowledge of terrorism.

This is the man responsible for ensuring that the Pope’s funeral is safe and secure, not just for the hordes of people who will gather in St Peter’s Square, but also for the world leaders coming to Vatican City. 

It is his job to keep Donald Trump, Prince William and Sister Mary safe.

When we talk, it feels like a horrendous, suffocating duty. And yet Matteo seems calm and fulfilled. And he has a confident smile.

“We are raising the bar to the highest level in terms of vigilance and professionalism.”

He adds: “Rome is definitely ready for events like this – it’s not the first time the Italian capital has had to manage events of such magnitude – so unity will definitely be our strength. Working together will allow us to successfully tackle this important challenge.

“Certainly, this is something new, but we’ll be ready. 

“We have enough personnel to ensure safety both at the Vatican and for the burial.”

He is requesting extra officers from around Italy to support the effort, aware of the huge focus that comes from protecting world leaders. 

But it is a burden that he seems to wear lightly. 

He points to the badge on his uniform with pride, and tells me his unit’s officers have a history that goes back 250 years. 

And he, like Sister Mary, smiles.