Filipino Catholics in Rome, Italy are united in mourning the passing of Pope Francis.

Jun Manila and Rosalie Escosia Manila of the Sentro Pilipino Chaplaincy in Rome said the Pope’s decision to be buried in Rome's Basilica of Saint Mary Major and not at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, unlike many previous pontiffs, shows that he was truly a man of the people.

“Napakalungkot na balita kaninang umaga. Ang buong Roma, ang buong Italya, ang buong mundo, ay nalungkot sa pagkawala ng ating Santo Papa, Papa Francesco,” Jun said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

“Si Pope Francis talagang maka-masa…Kasi ang sabi niya ‘yung Vatican daw, pag sa Vatican ang libing, para sa matataas na tao talaga. Pero he considered himself pang-kuwan lang, pang-masa.”

The 88-year-old Catholic leader died on Monday morning, almost a month after having been discharged from five weeks in hospital where he nearly succumbed to double pneumonia.

Francis died at 7.35 am (0535 GMT) in his apartment at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican. He died of "cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse", the death certificate said. With Agence France Presse