The Vatican is making final preparations for Pope Francis’s funeral as crowds of mourners continue to file through St Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects to the late pontiff. The coffin of the first Latin American pope, who passed away at age 88, will be closed at 8 PM local time in a ceremony presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is currently overseeing the Vatican’s daily operations. Diplomatic attendees, including 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs such as US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are expected to arrive in Rome on Friday ahead of Saturday’s ceremony.
Tens of thousands have queued for hours to visit the coffin of Francis, whose final public appearance was Easter Sunday mass. Friends and admirers viewed the decomposing body and expressed their condolences, with many motivated by the late pope’s deep compassion for the vulnerable. An estimated several hundred thousand people are expected to visit Rome for the funeral, which is scheduled to take place at St Peter’s Square, with tight security measures in place to manage the large crowd.
After the funeral, the pope’s coffin will be taken to his preferred resting place, Rome’s Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The tomb will be marked with the single word “Franiscus” and open to the public starting Sunday morning. The process to elect Pope Francis’s successor will follow, with the conclave beginning between 15 to 20 days after his death, with only cardinals under the age of 80 eligible to vote.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/25/pope-francis-funeral-preparations-vatican
