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2d ago

World Leaders Gather in Rome as Final Day of Pope Francis’s Lying-in-State Concludes

Pope Francis’s simple burial and funeral Mass on Saturday will reflect his humility and devotion to the marginalized, with over 130 delegations and 150,000 mourners paying their respects.

An aerial view from a Carabinieri helicopter shows St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, where Pope Francis lies in state, as seen from Rome, Italy April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Vincenzo Livieri
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Overview

  • Pope Francis’s coffin will be sealed Friday evening in a private ceremony led by eight cardinals, marking the end of his lying-in-state at St. Peter’s Basilica.
  • Saturday’s funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square, led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, will be attended by 50 heads of state, 10 monarchs, and an estimated 200,000 people.
  • Francis chose a single zinc-lined wooden coffin and a burial at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, breaking with traditional papal burial customs to emphasize simplicity and humility.
  • Security measures include anti-drone defenses, a no-fly zone, and over 2,000 police officers, as Rome prepares for the funeral and the subsequent nine-day mourning period.
  • A conclave to elect the next pope is expected to begin around May 5, following the novendiales mourning period and discussions among the 135 cardinal electors.