In the days following Pope Francis’ death, one image stood out among the sea of mourning: a lone nun, clutching a tissue, stepping quietly past Vatican protocol to grieve by his coffin. That woman was Sister Geneviève Jeanningros — not just another mourner, but a longtime friend of the Pope. Their bond began in 2005 when she sought help in Buenos Aires for the reburial of her aunt, a fellow nun who vanished during Argentina’s dictatorship.
Then-Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, later known as Pope Francis, supported her through the ordeal, beginning a friendship rooted in shared grief and enduring compassion. As Pope, Francis remained close to her, embracing her work with the LGBTQ+ community and personally welcoming those she brought to the Vatican. Just months before his death, he traveled in failing health to visit her — a final gesture of their extraordinary connection. But perhaps the most unforgettable moment came when Sister Geneviève defied centuries of protocol to say goodbye — and something quietly remarkable happened next…