Pope Francis laid to rest after massive funeral

Hundreds of thousands of mourners and world leaders packed St Peter's Square for the funeral of Pope Francis.

Around 200,000 people gathered in the Vatican and surrounding streets to bid farewell to the 'pope among the people'.

The crowds, packed with young people and accompanied by more than 200 red-robed cardinals, applauded as the pope's coffin was brought out of St Peter's Basilica.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re hailed the Pope's conviction that the Church is a home for all, with its doors always open.

More than 50 heads of state attended the funeral, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who represented millions of Filipino Catholics.

After the funeral, the pope's coffin was driven to Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore church and interred in a private ceremony.

Francis sought to steer the centuries-old Church into a more inclusive direction during his 12-year papacy, and his death prompted a global outpouring of emotion.