“So many other footsteps are hidden in the footsteps of Joseph and Mary,” Pope Francis said. “We see the tracks of entire families forced to set out in our own day.”

Canonization could take place during the Synod of Bishops, an institution Paul re-established after Vatican II.

While Cardinal Law's funeral is held at St. Peter's, the church is still waiting for the formal renewal of the pope's sex abuse commission. More transparency is needed to build trust in the church's commitment to reform.

Following the typical protocol, Francis presided over a final prayer, a blessing with incense and the sprinkling of holy water around Law's coffin.

Pope Francis has long recognized that the reform of the Roman Curia, which he began in 2013, is a difficult task.

"The dismemberment of the body is not allowed" unless the bishop has obtained permission from the saints' congregation.