Overview

• Pope Francis’s coffin will be sealed Friday night in a ceremony led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, concluding three days of lying in state that drew over 90,000 mourners to St. Peter’s Basilica.
• The funeral will take place Saturday in St. Peter’s Square, with over 130 delegations, including 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs, in attendance.
• Security measures include no-fly zones, rooftop snipers, and fighter jets on standby to ensure safety for the large-scale event, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of attendees.
• Following the funeral, Francis will be buried in a simple tomb at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, marking the first papal interment outside the Vatican in over a century.
• The funeral service will feature a Bible reading in Mandarin Chinese, reflecting Francis’s efforts to bridge relations with China during his papacy.