Overview

• The public viewing of Pope Francis’s open casket concluded Friday evening, with approximately 250,000 attendees over three days in St. Peter’s Basilica.
• In a private Catholic ritual, the casket was sealed with a white silk cloth placed over the late Pope’s face, marking the end of public access.
• Preparations are underway for Saturday’s Requiem Mass on St. Peter’s Square, expected to draw global leaders and hundreds of thousands of attendees.
• Pope Francis will be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore, fulfilling his request to rest outside St. Peter’s Basilica, a departure from over a century of tradition.
• The city of Rome has adjusted schedules and events, including Serie A match postponements, to accommodate the mourning period and funeral logistics.