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More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the funeral of Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square on Saturday in an historical event to commemorate the life of the Head of the Catholic Church.
Along with major world leaders in attendance, some 220 cardinals, 750 bishops and priests are expected to be near the altar, and more than 4,000 other priests will be in the square to witness the ceremony beginning at 10am local time (9am BST).
The funeral occurs five days after the 88-year-old Pontiff’s death on Monday after a battle with double pneumonia, and following several days of global mourning for the Argentinian remembered for his humble leadership style and championing of the downtrodden.
On Friday night the Pope’s coffin was sealed in a private Vatican ceremony after 250,000 visited his body lying in state at the main altar of St Peter’s Basilica, while world leaders including US president Donald Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron flew in to Rome ahead of the ceremony.
Security arrangements ahead of the major event include snipers stationed on rooftops, and fighter jets on standby. Streets surrounding the Vatican are under strict control, with law enforcement agencies coordinating to manage the expected influx of hundreds of thousands of mourners.
The funeral is expected to last two-and-a-half hours before the late Pontiff is taken to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where he will be buried, in a move that breaks with tradition by becoming the first Pope to be interred outside the grounds of the Vatican in 120 years.
Mapped: where the Pope’s funeral will take place
While most popes are interred on Vatican grounds, Pope Francis has broken from tradition with his request to be buried outside the holy city.
Instead, he will be buried at St Mary Major in Rome. He is the first pope in 120 years to choose a burial ground outside the Vatican.
Bryony Gooch26 April 2025 06:01
How to watch Pope Francis’s funeral
Both the BBC and Sky News will offer special coverage of the pope’s funeral ceremony.
A BBC News special will begin at 8.30am, scheduled to continue until 12.30pm. Meanwhile, Sky News will begin their coverage at 7am until 1pm.
ITV has said it will have a live stream on its online platform ITVX during the day.
The Vatican will also broadcast the funeral live on its YouTube channel. They said they would offer coverage in 15 different languages.
Bryony Gooch26 April 2025 05:28
In pictures: St Mary Major where Pope Francis will be buried
Bryony Gooch26 April 2025 05:00
In photos: From Argentina to France, Pope Francis remembered on the eve of his burial
Stuti Mishra26 April 2025 04:30
WATCH: Thousands queue to view Pope lying in state at Vatican’s St Peter’s Basilica
Bryony Gooch26 April 2025 04:01
What is the ‘Novemdiales’ or nine days of mourning?
The funeral marks the beginning of the “novemdiales”, or nine days of mourning.
While the funeral mass is open to the public, services on the other eight days are open to different groups including one for employees and the faithful of Vatican City.
The last day of mourning is Sunday, May 4, ending with a service at 5pm.
After this final day of mourning, the Cardinals can begin the papal conclave.
Bryony Gooch26 April 2025 03:03
What to expect from Pope Francis’s funeral ceremony
The service, expected to last two-and-a-half hours, will be mostly held in Latin.
It will follow the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the Vatican’s official liturgical text for papal funerals, which was updated at Pope Francis’ request last year, according to EWTN, a Catholic television network.
The mass will include readings, and the homily will be followed by prayers in French, Arabic, Portuguese, Polish, German, and Chinese, before the Eucharistic liturgy, Holy Communion, and the Rite of Final Commendation, Vatican News reports.
“The celebration will be accompanied by the Choir of the Sistine Chapel,” the website says.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals who is presiding over the ceremony, will then sprinkle the coffin with holy water and incense.
At the end of the mass, the choir will sing in Latin: “May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come and welcome you and take you into the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.”
When the service is over, the coffin will be carried through the “door of death” to the left of the altar at St Peters, while a 10-ton funeral bell tolls.
Bryony Gooch26 April 2025 02:02
Who will be attending the funeral?
Pope Francis’s funeral has an impressive guest list of approximately 170 world leaders, including 12 reigning monarchs and 55 heads of State, 14 heads of Government.
UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and US president Donald Trump are set to attend, as well as Prince William, who is appearing in King Charles’s stead.
About 250 cardinals, a multitude of bishops, priests, religious brothers and sisters will attend the funeral Mass as well.
Vatican officials estimate several hundred thousand people will pay their final respects.
There will be some notable absences, as neither Russian president Vladimir Putin or Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be attending.
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has said he may also have to cancel his attendance following a strike on Kyiv on Thursday.
Bryony Gooch26 April 2025 01:02
How will the funeral service begin?
The funeral mass will begin at 10am local time (9am BST) in St Peter’s Square, in front of the Basilica where Pope Francis’s body has been lying in state for three days. The mass will begin with a choir singing introductory rites.
His Reverend Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the ceremony.
The late pope’s face will covered with a silk veil and his body sprinkled with holy water.
Bryony Gooch26 April 2025 00:01
In pictures: Pope Francis’s coffin is sealed ahead of the ceremony
Pope Francis’s coffin was sealed on Friday at 8pm local time in a liturgical rite.
Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell presided at the Rite of Sealing of the Coffin of the late Pope Francis, which was attended by several Cardinals and Holy See officials.
It marked the end of public viewing in St. Peter’s Basilica, which saw hundreds of thousands of people pay their respects to the late Pope.
Bryony Gooch25 April 2025 23:51
