The funeral for Pope Francis is scheduled for Saturday in St Peter’s Square, as Roman Catholic cardinals have made arrangements for a solemn event expected to attract leaders from across the globe.
Francis, aged 88, passed away yesterday following a stroke and cardiac arrest, concluding a tumultuous papacy marked by clashes with traditionalists and advocacy for the underprivileged and marginalized.
Earlier this year, the pontiff was hospitalized for five weeks due to double pneumonia and seemed to be on the mend; however, the Vatican reported that his passing was swift and without suffering.
He reportedly began feeling unwell around 3:30 AM Irish time yesterday, and his team responded promptly.
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The official time of death was reported as 7:35 AM.
The Vatican also released images of Francis in his vestments, clutching a rosary, lying in an open casket within the chapel of the Santa Marta residence, his home during his 12-year papacy.
Swiss Guards stood vigil at the casket as dignitaries, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella, paid their respects to the first pope from Latin America.
Prayers were held for Pope Francis in the chapel at his Santa Marta residence.
His body will be transferred into the adjacent St Peter’s Basilica tomorrow at 9 AM local time, led in procession by cardinals.
He will lie in state there until Friday evening.
The funeral service is set for 10 AM local time the following day in St Peter’s Square, in front of the 16th-century basilica.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the service.
Cardinals Kevin Farrell, Pietro Parolin, and Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra have sealed the doors of the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace and the Casa Santa Marta, where the late Pope Francis resided.
The rite of certification of death and… pic.twitter.com/PP6j4SbqPr
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 21, 2025
US President Donald Trump, who has had repeated disagreements with the pope over immigration, announced that he and his wife would attend.
Other heads of state expected to be present include the presidents of France, Brazil, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, the European Commission, and Argentina, Francis’s home country.
Read More: What happens when a pope dies? Who might succeed Pope Francis? Some possible candidates. Live: Follow updates as plans for the Pope’s funeral are discussed.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, and President Michael D. Higgins are also among the attendees.
Britain’s Prime Minister and the King and Queen of Belgium will also make their way to the event.
In a departure from tradition, Francis expressed in his final testament, released yesterday, his desire to be buried in Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major rather than St Peter’s, where many of his predecessors rest.
Francis’s death has initiated long-standing rituals, signaling the Catholic Church’s transition from one pope to another. This includes the breaking of the pope’s “Fisherman’s Ring” and lead seal, which were used during his lifetime to authenticate documents, rendering them unusable by anyone else.
Pope Francis waved to the crowds gathered from the balcony during his last public appearance on Sunday.
As Catholics around the world mourn his passing, all cardinals in Rome have been convened to discuss the upcoming sequence of events and manage the Church’s operations leading up to the election of a new pope.
A conclave to select a new pope typically occurs 15 to 20 days after the death of a pontiff, meaning it will not commence before May 6.
The precise date will be determined by the cardinals following Francis’s funeral.
Approximately 135 cardinals are eligible to partake in the confidential ballot, which may extend over several days. White smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney will signal that a new pope has been elected.
An image of Pope Francis was displayed at the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist in Kuala Lumpur, as a mass for him was held at the Cathedral Nuestra Senora de La Paz in Bolivia.
There is currently no clear frontrunner to take Francis’s place.
Pope Francis inherited a Church in turmoil and worked diligently to reform the Vatican’s core administration, eliminate corruption, and address the ongoing issue of child abuse within the clergy, achieving mixed results.
Watch: Prayers and tears for Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square.
“Things are certainly better than they used to be, but they are also not as good as they could be,” remarked Marie Collins, a victim of clerical abuse at the age of 13 in 1960s Ireland.
Ms. Collins was part of a papal commission aimed at protecting minors, established in 2014, but she resigned in 2017, citing internal resistance as a significant barrier.
Throughout his papacy, Francis faced opposition from conservatives longing for a return to traditional values, who perceived him as excessively liberal and overly accommodating toward marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ community.
Francis appointed nearly 80% of the cardinal electors responsible for choosing his successor, which enhances, though does not guarantee, the likelihood that his successor will continue his progressive policies.
An obelisk in Buenos Aires, Argentina, showcased a striking projection of the Pope’s image.
A defining feature of Francis’s papacy was his initiative to appoint cardinals from diverse and remote regions – areas where Roman Catholics are a minority or where the Church is experiencing significant growth, unlike in the mostly stagnant West.
Though Europe retains the largest share of cardinal electors at approximately 39%, this is down from 52% in 2013 when Francis ascended to the papacy.
The second-largest group of electors now comes from Asia and Oceania, making up about 20%.
