In brief
On Saturday, April 26, Pope Francis’ funeral will take place in St. Peter’s Square, where mourners and dignitaries are expected to gather for this momentous occasion.
Pope Francis’ funeral Mass is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square, as the world prepares to honor the late pontiff. The ceremony promises to draw a multitude of international dignitaries, cardinals, archbishops, and priests, all paying their respects to the influential leader. His body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica until the day of the funeral service.The event is expected to be extensively covered by global news outlets. Notably, The New York Times will provide a live stream of the ceremony, alongside major U.S. networks like NBC, CBS, CNN, and ABC, while the BBC is set to broadcast the events in the UK. The Vatican will also stream the service on its YouTube channel, offering a worldwide audience access to the proceedings.As per tradition, the funeral will adhere to centuries-old practices, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals. In keeping with Pope Francis’ wishes for simplicity, the ceremony will feature one wooden coffin instead of the customary three, a modification made by the late pontiff himself.After the funeral Mass, there will be an interment of his body at the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a final resting place notably requested by Francis in his will, where he opted for a simple tomb inscribed only with the name “Franciscus.” Following the ceremony, churches across Rome will hold special Masses for nine consecutive days to honor his memory.Expected attendees include numerous world leaders: President Trump, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, President Javier Milei of Argentina, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, highlighting the far-reaching impact Pope Francis had during his papacy.
