Final respects paid to Pope in West Midlands

Catholics have paid their last respects to Pope Francis at services across the West Midlands.

At least 400,000 people are estimated to have gathered in Vatican City to watch his coffin taken to the Santa Maria Maggiore church for burial.

In Bilston, Father Craig Fullard held a service at Holy Trinity Church and one member of the congregation described it as being "like St Peter's Square in a room".

In Harborne, Father Hilary Basil, said people had been bringing in flowers to Saint Mary's Church since hearing of the Pope's death.

Fr Basil said: "For the young person he was a father and for the older people they saw in him one who has come to bring newness in life, in the Christian faith, an expression of the Christian faith."

Fr Fullard met the Pope in 2019 and said: "It must have only probably been a minute, but in that minute you felt as if you were the only person in that room with him."

He said Pope Francis "gave everybody his total and utter attention" and always ended a conversation with a request that his guest should pray for him.

"He'd do that whether you were a king, queen, whoever you are he always wanted to pray for him in his ministry for the world," he said.

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