Crying nun who broke protocol to mourn Pope Francis speaks out about viral moment at his coffin

The crying nun who broke protocol to mourn the late Pope Francis at his coffin has spoken out about viral moment.

Sister Geneviève Jeanningros is one of millions of Catholic followers from around the world who are grieving the late Pope Francis' death.

Francis, whose real name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, headed up the Catholic Church for 12 years before he passed away at the age of 88 on Easter Monday (April 21) from a stroke.

He was elected pope on March 13, 2013, just 13 days after his predecessor, Pope Benedict, stepped down due to old age.

Yet Sister Geneviève and Francis go way back before his lofty role, having shared a friendship that spanned the decades since their first meeting in 2005, according to PEOPLE.

Sister Geneviève Jeanningros went viral for her grief-stricken farewell to Pope Francis (Noticias Telemundo/YouTube)

The French nun had traveled from Rome to Buenos Aires for the burial of her aunt Leonie Duquet, who was also a nun, when she brushed shoulders with him as he was then the Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

He had given approval for the re-burial of Duquet, who died in the mid-1970s during the country's dictatorship.

Geneviève, who is a prominent figure in working with the LGBTQ+ community, ended up striking up a friendship with Francis, and the pair would meet every week with a group of LGBTQ+ community members.

Last July, Francis also made the journey to Ostia to meet up with his 81-year-old pal.

On Wednesday (April 23) when the late pontiff was lying in state at St Peter's Basilica, the Sister broke Vatican protocol by approaching Francis' casket to say goodbye.

At the time, the general public were not permitted inside and only cardinals, priests and bishops, all of whom are male, were reserved entry to pay their respects.

The nun could be seen clutching a tissue while she said goodbye to her friend (Twitter)

Yet the nun could be seen near the casket wiping away her tears while clutching a tissue in a heartbreaking moment that went viral on social media.

According to NBC News, nobody stopped her when she began to weep, allowing her several private moments to grieve.

Now, Geneviève has spoken out about the incident, speaking to Noticias Telemundo at the Vatican on Friday, (April 25) before the pontiff's funeral.

In the short interview, the nun described Francis as a 'Father, a friend and a brother.'

She also said she paid her respects every day, not just when she made headlines for the clip.

Explaining how she became overcome with emotion, the Sister also told the Vatican press service: "Many people told me: when you go to see the Pope, take us with you.

"I cried for them too."

The pair last met in July in Ostia Lido (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

On her last visit with the pope, the nun brought Laura Esquibel, a trans woman from Paraguay, who also commented: "I was the first trans woman to shake his hand. I've seen him seven times, we had lunch together. I liked him a lot."

But the grief-stricken Sister has since rejected any further interviews, stating that she struggles to speak about the loss.

"No, I can’t. I don’t want to talk to anyone, I’m sorry. I can’t because it’s too much, you know? I liked him a lot, that’s it," she said as per GI.

More than 250,000 mourners went to see the late pope before his funeral while thousands more piled into the holy city to attend his final farewell from St Peter's Square, including royalty, dignitaries and world leaders.

This included US President Donald Trump, whose behavior was branded a 'disgrace' in sharp contrast to the nun, as well as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.