Pope Francis's funeral will be held on Saturday in St. Peter's Square, with the Vatican confirming that hundreds of thousands are expected to gather to pay their respects. The head of the Catholic Church passed away on Monday at the age of 88 following a stroke, just a day after delivering his Easter address. He had been struggling with poor health, having recently recovered from double pneumonia.
World leaders and royals, including Sir Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, Prince William, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva—whose country has the largest Catholic population—have confirmed their attendance. Thousands of mourners have already arrived in Vatican City, bringing flowers, candles, and crosses while reciting prayers.
On Tuesday, the Vatican revealed further details about Pope Francis’s final hours. The Pope, who had recently spent five weeks in the hospital, had expressed hesitation about appearing on the balcony on Sunday, asking his nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, "Do you think I can do this?" Strappetti reassured him, and shortly after, the Pope appeared on the balcony to bless the crowd below in St. Peter's Square.
The following morning, around 05:30 local time, Pope Francis began feeling unwell. An hour later, he gave a final wave to Strappetti before slipping into a coma. The Vatican stated that those close to him in those moments confirmed he did not suffer, describing his passing as "discreet."
Pope Francis's body will be moved in a procession led by cardinals from the Chapel of Santa Marta to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning. His open coffin will remain in the Basilica until Friday to allow public mourners to pay their respects. Visitors can view the body from 11:00 to midnight on Wednesday, 07:00 to midnight on Thursday, and 07:00 to 19:00 on Friday. In a break from tradition, there will be no private viewing for cardinals at the Pope's request, and the coffin will not be raised on a pedestal.
The funeral will begin at 10:00 AM in St. Peter’s Square, with a service led by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. The final commendation and valediction will follow, after which the Pope’s body will be transferred to St. Mary Major for burial. A nine-day mourning period, known as Novemdiales, will then begin.
Who Will Attend the Funeral?
The funeral is expected to draw as many as 250,000 people. Several notable world leaders and royals have confirmed their attendance, including US President Donald Trump, Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Polish President Andrzej Duda, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Argentine President Javier Milei, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Where Will Pope Francis Be Buried?
In keeping with his preference for simplicity, Pope Francis will be buried outside the Vatican. He had requested to be laid to rest at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major, making him the first pope in over a century to be buried outside Vatican City. In his final testament, Pope Francis expressed his wish to be buried "in the earth, simple, without particular decoration," with only his papal name, Franciscus, inscribed in Latin.
After his death, his body was placed in the Santa Marta chapel, and his apartment was officially sealed.
When will the new Pope be elected?
Following the funeral, a conclave of cardinals will convene to elect a new pope. The dean of the College of Cardinals has 15 to 20 days to call the cardinals to Rome once the Pope is laid to rest. Several names have already been suggested as potential successors, and more are likely to surface in the coming days.
Source: BBC
BDST: 1427 HRS, APR 23, 2025
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