Sister Geneviève Jeanningros, a longtime friend of Pope Francis, has spoken about the emotional moment when she broke protocol to grieve at his coffin. Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, led the Catholic Church for 12 years before his death at 88 on Easter Monday.

Geneviève met Francis in 2005 during the reburial of her aunt, a nun who died during Argentina’s dictatorship. Their bond grew over the years, with Geneviève, an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and a group of LGBTQ+ members meeting weekly with him. Francis even visited her in Ostia last July.

During the public viewing at St. Peter’s Basilica, Geneviève approached the casket, wiping away tears in a widely shared moment. Although Vatican rules allowed only male clergy near the coffin, no one intervened.

Speaking to Noticias Telemundo, Geneviève described Francis as “a father, a friend, and a brother,” explaining she visited his body daily and cried on behalf of others who had asked her to take them with her in spirit.

She recalled her last visit with Francis, bringing Laura Esquibel, a transgender woman, who described warmly meeting the Pope several times. Since the funeral, Geneviève has declined further interviews, overwhelmed by grief, simply saying: “I liked him a lot, that’s it.”