Overview

• Pope Francis’s body is now lying in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, where the public can pay their respects until April 25, ahead of his funeral on April 26.
• The Vatican has implemented simplified funeral protocols, in line with reforms introduced by Francis in November 2024, eliminating traditional elements like three coffins and excessive honorifics.
• Italy has declared five days of national mourning, established an aerial exclusion zone over Rome, and organized extensive security measures for the funeral, which is expected to draw over 200,000 attendees.
• Global leaders, including Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, Brazil’s President Lula, and former U.S. President Donald Trump, have confirmed their attendance at the funeral.
• The Vatican has initiated sede vacante procedures, with a conclave to elect Francis’s successor set to begin no earlier than May 5, heavily influenced by cardinals appointed during his papacy.