Sister Geneviève Jeanningros, a close friend of the late Pope Francis, has spoken out after breaking Vatican protocol to mourn beside his coffin. Her emotional moment went viral as she stood tearfully by his casket at St. Peter’s Basilica, despite access being limited to male clergy.

Their friendship began in 2005, when Francis, then Archbishop Bergoglio, approved the reburial of Geneviève’s aunt, a nun killed during Argentina’s dictatorship. Over the years, Geneviève, an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, frequently met with Francis and brought LGBTQ+ individuals to meet him, including a transgender woman from Paraguay.

Describing Francis as “a father, a friend, and a brother,” she said she had been visiting his coffin daily. She has since declined further interviews, saying the grief is too overwhelming. Over 250,000 mourners paid their respects before the funeral, attended by global leaders including Donald Trump and President Zelenskyy.