Couple getting married in Vatican join mourners to ‘say goodbye’ to Pope Francis

‘Everything happens for a reason.’ This is what Ashley Tran, 30, told Metro while queuing at St Peter’s Square to say goodbye to Pope Francis.

The Texas native and her fiancé Phuoc Nguyen, 33, flew to Rome on Easter Sunday, expecting a joyful lead-up to their Catholic wedding in the Vatican.

What they did not know is that hours later they would be among the tens of thousands of pilgrims mourning the death of the pontiff.

Inching forward towards St Peter’s Basilica, where Francis is lying in state, they hoped to pay their respects to a pope who had shaped their faith.

This is not how Ashley and Phuoc had pictured the days leading up to their wedding in the Church of St Anne – one of only two in the Vatican.

They had planned to attend the pope’s usual audience with pilgrims in St Peter’s Square that happens every Wednesday, and get a blessing from him, and then depart for a few days of rest at Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

Francis’ death changed all of this. For the couple, it felt right to honour him first, so they delayed everything – wedding planning and their trip – so that they can ‘at least say goodbye’.

Ashley added: ‘I have to see him. I would not say that I am sad – of course, a passing of a life is always sad.

‘But Francis did so much, so this is a celebration of his legacy. He did all he could.

‘I just want to say goodbye and thank him for everything that he has done.

‘He is so beloved, and was such a giving and caring leader, and just such a kind man.’

The bride-to-be said Francis kept her Catholic faith strong, alongside all the values her parents taught her.

She said that in the worst times of her life – when she taught that she was going to lose Phuoc – she turned to God for help.

‘My fiancé was on his deathbed in 2020. Phuoc had less than one percent chance of survival,’ Ashley recalled.

‘We both turned to God, we prayed. And he got better. And that is why I said everything happens for a reason.’

Getting married in the Vatican has been a dream for Ashley for a long time.

What makes it ‘extra special’ is that their ceremony also falls during Jubilee Year.

For a moment, Ashley was concerned that their wedding was going to be cancelled as it is scheduled to happen less than 48 hours after the pope’s funeral.

‘For a second, I was worried. But we are Catholics and everything happens for a reason,’ she explained.

‘If this is the plan, then that is what God wants for us.’

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