Pope Francis, funeral to be held on Saturday 26 April on the steps of St Peter's Basilica
Rights — di Valentina Neri
Around 200,000 people are expected in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, who died on the morning of 21 April.
Pope Francis, funeral to be held on Saturday 26 April on the steps of St Peter's Basilica
Around 200,000 people are expected in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, who died on the morning of 21 April.
On Saturday 26 April at 10:00, on the steps of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, the funeral of Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who died on the morning of 21 April, is scheduled to take place. He was 88 years old and had been Pope since 13 March 2013. Around 200,000 people are expected to attend, including 170 heads of state and government.
How Pope Francis's funeral will unfold
Following the rite of translation of the body, from Wednesday 23 April the remains of Pope Francis have been lying in state at St Peter's Basilica, where the faithful can pay their last respects until Friday 25 April. On Wednesday, the basilica remained open until 5:30 in the morning, well beyond the planned closing time, to allow entry to all those who had been waiting patiently for hours. On 25 April at 20:00, the rite of the closing of the coffin will take place.
The mortal remains of Pope Francis have been transferred from the Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter's Basilica, where his body will lie in state so the faithful may pay their respects until his funeral on Saturday.
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The funeral Mass for Pope Francis will be celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, on the steps of St Peter's Basilica, on Saturday 26 April 2025 at 10:00. This is clarified in a note from the Vatican. Afterwards, the coffin will be carried inside the basilica and from there to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial. The decision is quite unusual, as all other Popes of the last century have been buried in the Vatican Grottoes, beneath St Peter's Basilica. Santa Maria Maggiore is the smallest of Rome's four papal basilicas and is located outside the Vatican, on the Esquiline Hill. It is a choice expressed by Pope Francis himself. His testamentary wishes also state that "the tomb must be in the ground; simple, without particular decoration, and bearing only the inscription: Franciscus". The preparatory costs for the burial are being covered by an anonymous benefactor.
According to liturgical rules, the conclave is held between the fifteenth and twentieth day following the death of the Pope. The cardinal electors (that is, the 135 who are under eighty years of age) will withdraw to the Sistine Chapel to cast their votes for the next Pope: election requires a two-thirds majority.
The death of a Pope marks the beginning of a series of events that lead to the eventual start of a conclave and election of a new Successor of St. Peter. We lay out in detail the events that lead to the election of a new Pope.
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The massive security measures in Rome
For days, tens of thousands of people have been paying tribute to Pope Francis, enduring long queues. Around 200,000 people are expected in Rome on the day of the funeral. The influx is particularly significant, also because many of the faithful had already travelled to Rome for the Jubilee – the Holy Year of the Catholic Church – and in particular for the Jubilee of Adolescents, scheduled from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 April, for which the canonisation of the young Carlo Acutis had originally been planned (subsequently suspended). The Civil Protection department has set in motion extraordinary measures to assist people, while Rome's prefect Lamberto Giannini announced a tightening of security controls. A no-fly zone has been established over the Vatican area.
Also confirmed is the presence of around 170 foreign delegations, comprising heads of state and government. Among those who have confirmed their attendance are Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, presidents Donald Trump (United States), Lula (Brazil), Emmanuel Macron (France), Volodymyr Zelensky (Ukraine), Javier Milei (Argentina), Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (Portugal), Andrzej Duda (Poland), Ursula von der Leyen (European Commission), and Roberta Metsola (European Parliament). Representing Germany will be President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz; for the United Kingdom, Prince William and Prime Minister Keir Starmer; also present will be the royals of Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg. Russia will be represented by Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, and Israel by its Ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Zeidman.