Vatican Finalizes Plans for Pope Francis’ Funeral as Mourners Flock to Rome
The Vatican is putting the final touches on preparations for Pope Francis’ funeral, scheduled for Saturday in St. Peter’s Square, as thousands continue to gather at St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects. The late pontiff lies in state in an open coffin, drawing long lines of mourners day and night.
A massive crowd is expected for the funeral, including around 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs. Among those arriving in Rome on Friday are U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
With such a high-profile event underway, Italian and Vatican authorities are ramping up security. Measures include no-fly zones, strict drone regulations, rooftop snipers, and fighter jets on alert. Additional checkpoints will be operational starting Friday night.
Pope Francis’ coffin will be closed at 8:00 p.m. Friday in a solemn ceremony led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is currently overseeing Vatican operations until a new pope is elected. The ritual, known as the “Rite of the Sealing of the Coffin,” will be attended by senior church officials.
Francis, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pope, passed away on Monday at the age of 88 after battling pneumonia. His final public appearance was during Easter Sunday Mass, just weeks earlier. Despite his declining health, he insisted on attending, defying medical advice.
Visitors from around the globe have come to Rome to honor the late pope. One tourist from France, Veronique Montes-Coulomb, who was at the Easter Mass, recalled seeing the pope in the popemobile. “He seemed relatively healthy. We were shocked to hear of his death,” she told AFP.
The pope’s final address reflected his lifelong advocacy for the marginalized. He condemned contempt toward the vulnerable, migrants, and the poor—groups he championed throughout his 12-year papacy.
Over 130 international delegations are expected at the funeral. Italy’s civil protection agency estimates that several hundred thousand people will flood Rome this weekend, coinciding with a national public holiday on Friday.
After the funeral, Pope Francis’ coffin will be taken to Rome’s Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore—his favorite church—for burial. As a tribute to his humility, his grave will be marked with a single word: Franciscus. It will open to visitors starting Sunday morning.
A group of the “poor and needy” will be present to welcome the pope’s coffin—symbolizing his lifelong dedication to the underprivileged.
Attention will soon shift to the selection of a new pope. Cardinals have already begun daily meetings to discuss the transition. The formal conclave, where a new pope will be elected, must begin between 15 to 20 days after Francis’ death. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote—currently about 135 of them.
Among the frontrunners to succeed Pope Francis is Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, followed by Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, and Italian Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, according to odds from British bookmaker William Hill.
