Overview

• Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday at 88, lies in state at St. Peter’s Basilica through Friday, with his funeral scheduled for Saturday at Santa Maria Maggiore per his will.
• The Pope’s burial will reflect his humility, with a simple grave marked only by his name and cross, prepared in the basilica he visited frequently during his life.
• Global mourning rituals include bell ringing, flag displays, and memorial services, with dioceses like Dresden-Meissen and Speyer organizing public Masses in his honor.
• World leaders including Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, and Ursula von der Leyen are confirmed to attend the funeral, while Friedrich Merz will not be present.
• Italian authorities have heightened security, deploying a covert drone-monitoring military unit and enforcing a flight ban to safeguard the funeral and surrounding events.