Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After surviving a serious illness, he decided to dedicate his life to God. He joined the Jesuits and was later ordained as a Catholic priest in 1969, eventually becoming the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and later a cardinal. After Pope Benedict XVI resigned, Bergoglio was elected by a papal conclave to become the next pope. He chose the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi and became known as Pope Francis on March 13, 2013.

As the first Jesuit ever to become pope, Pope Francis’s papacy was quite different from his predecessors. He chose to live a simple life while simultaneously embracing modern ideologies. Pope Francis opted for modest accommodation and refrained from ornate papal jewelry. He welcomed women as full members of the dicasteries in the Roman Curia and embraced the LGBTQ+ community. Through humility and a less formal approach to spreading the word of God, Pope Francis presented a unique juxtaposition between the traditions of the Church and the modern world. His passing on April 21, 2025, was a great loss to the Catholic Church and the global community.

Like in his life, Pope Francis’s papal interregnum, the nine-day period of mourning to honor a pope, was also a juxtaposition of modesty and grandeur, tradition and modernity. Prior to his passing, Pope Francis had made it known that he wanted a simple burial, one in line with his Jesuit ideals. However, as the head of the Catholic Church, there were exceptions to be made. An estimated 250,000 people flocked to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy, to pay their respects and view the pope before his casket was sealed.

With so many people in Rome, many of whom were dignitaries like President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, along with their wives, Prince William, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, security was of the utmost importance. Rome’s police chief, Roberto Massucci, explained that the combined efforts of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City, the Italian National Police, and the Italian Armed Forces would provide security for the papal interregnum.

This also meant relying on modern technology, an idea that can seem distant from the image of the Church, like drones. Dai Davies, whose job was once to protect the British Royal family, explained that drones and technologically advanced security measures would be critical for an event like the Pope’s funeral. “The queen’s funeral, the king’s coronation, the Olympics, President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Pope’s funeral is at that level,” he said. “You really only need one element for things to go awry, whether that’s someone in the crowd who hates Trump and what he’s doing to Ukraine to anything that’s happening in the Middle East, from public disorder to crowd control because a lot of people may be hysterical with grief.”

Drones were used to surveil crowds moving throughout Rome and outside St. Peter’s Basilica. At the same time, officers were equipped with specialized devices to disarm any unauthorized drones attempting to enter the established no-fly zone. These devices were the CPM DJI-120-4B system, developed by the Italian company CPM Elettronica. The device is capable of jamming drone signals up to 700 meters away. It was the first time the anti-drone system was used in such a high-profile public event.

In his life and papacy, Pope Francis exemplified a rare balance between honoring the ancient traditions of the Catholic Church and embracing the challenges and possibilities of the modern world. His commitment to simplicity, humility, and inclusivity reshaped the papacy for a new era, while his openness to technological advances, such as the use of drones for security at his funeral, demonstrated his recognition of the need for innovation in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. By blending timeless values with contemporary solutions, Pope Francis left a legacy that not only respected the past but also paved the way for the future of the Church and its place in the world.

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