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Dignitaries, royalty, and marginalized communities will fill St. Peter’s Square on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, the socially conscious pontiff who led the Catholic Church for more than a decade and died Monday at age 88 following a stroke and heart failure.
Francis, who had recently battled double pneumonia, will be honored in a funeral Mass led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re at 10 a.m. local time. Security is tight across the city, with 130 foreign delegations and an estimated 200,000 mourners expected. Anti-drone systems, rooftop snipers, and air patrols are in place, with Italian and Vatican forces on high alert.
The late pope, known for his outreach to society’s most vulnerable, requested a simplified service and inclusive guest list. Among the attendees will be refugees, prisoners, and the homeless, alongside global leaders including U.S. Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Prince William. The Argentinian delegation, led by President Javier Milei, will sit in the front row.
Francis maintained close ties with humanitarian groups such as Mediterranea Saving Humans and Refugees in Libya. "He really followed Christ’s example. He welcomed everyone," said activist Luca Casarini.
The pope’s coffin was sealed in a private ceremony Friday. After the funeral, it will be transported through Rome to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. In a final break with tradition, he will be buried in a plain wooden casket in a simple niche, marked only with the name “Franciscus.”
A private farewell will include 40 prisoners and unhoused individuals. Nine days of mourning will follow, with the papal conclave expected to begin no sooner than May 5.
With information from The Guardian.
