Overview
- Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at age 88, was honored with a funeral Mass attended by 400,000 people in St. Peter's Square on April 26.
- World leaders, including Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, joined pilgrims and clergy in paying tribute to the first Latin American pope.
- After the Mass, his plain wooden coffin was transported to Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, where he was privately interred in a simple tomb inscribed 'Franciscus.'
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re led the service, describing Francis as 'a pope among the people' who championed inclusivity and compassion throughout his 12-year papacy.
- With the nine-day Vatican mourning period underway, cardinals under 80 are preparing for a conclave in early May to elect the next pope.