Overview

• Pope Francis’s body was transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning, where it will remain in an open casket for public viewing until Friday evening.
• The Requiem Mass will take place on Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, followed by burial in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore as per the pope’s wishes.
• Heads of state, including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, have confirmed their attendance at the funeral.
• The College of Cardinals is finalizing logistical preparations for the early May conclave, where 133 electors will choose the next pope, with speculation focusing on both conservative and progressive candidates.
• Pope Francis, known for his humility, requested a minimalist burial with a simple wooden coffin and no papal insignia, reflecting his reformist legacy.