Funeral of Pope Francis to Take Place Today in Vatican City - 26th April 2025
General News
Saturday 26th, April 2025
2 minute read.
The funeral of Pope Francis will be held today in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City, with thousands of mourners expected to gather to pay their final respects to the late pontiff.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. local time (8:00 am Irish time) and will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals. This service will officially begin the Novemdiales, the Catholic Church’s traditional nine days of mourning.
Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday, 21 April 2025, at the age of 88, suffered a cerebral stroke followed by heart failure. His body lay in state at the Altar of the Confession inside St Peter’s Basilica from Wednesday to Friday evening, where more than 50,000 people came to pay their respects.
Around 200,000 mourners are expected to fill St Peter’s Square today. Over 130 foreign delegations will be present, including heads of state and royal figures. Confirmed attendees include U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Prince William, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
In keeping with his personal wishes, Pope Francis will not be buried in the traditional tombs beneath St Peter’s Basilica. Instead, he will be laid to rest at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. His coffin, a simple wooden casket containing a zinc inner lining, bears only the inscription "Franciscus".
The funeral Mass will include rites such as the Ultima commendatio and Valedictio, with the Book of the Gospels to be placed upon the coffin. Representatives of the poor and marginalised – causes Pope Francis championed throughout his papacy – will also be present at the ceremony.
Following today’s funeral, the Vatican will commence the Novemdiales, with daily Masses planned through 4 May. Each day will be dedicated to specific groups that were significant during Pope Francis’s ministry.
The College of Cardinals will meet in early May to discuss the election of a successor, with the papal conclave expected to begin between 6 and 11 May.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the office. His tenure, which began in 2013, focused on reforming the Roman Curia, addressing poverty and inequality, and fostering dialogue within and outside the Catholic Church.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. local time (8:00 am Irish time) and will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals. This service will officially begin the Novemdiales, the Catholic Church’s traditional nine days of mourning.
Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday, 21 April 2025, at the age of 88, suffered a cerebral stroke followed by heart failure. His body lay in state at the Altar of the Confession inside St Peter’s Basilica from Wednesday to Friday evening, where more than 50,000 people came to pay their respects.
Around 200,000 mourners are expected to fill St Peter’s Square today. Over 130 foreign delegations will be present, including heads of state and royal figures. Confirmed attendees include U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Prince William, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
In keeping with his personal wishes, Pope Francis will not be buried in the traditional tombs beneath St Peter’s Basilica. Instead, he will be laid to rest at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. His coffin, a simple wooden casket containing a zinc inner lining, bears only the inscription "Franciscus".
The funeral Mass will include rites such as the Ultima commendatio and Valedictio, with the Book of the Gospels to be placed upon the coffin. Representatives of the poor and marginalised – causes Pope Francis championed throughout his papacy – will also be present at the ceremony.
Following today’s funeral, the Vatican will commence the Novemdiales, with daily Masses planned through 4 May. Each day will be dedicated to specific groups that were significant during Pope Francis’s ministry.
The College of Cardinals will meet in early May to discuss the election of a successor, with the papal conclave expected to begin between 6 and 11 May.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the office. His tenure, which began in 2013, focused on reforming the Roman Curia, addressing poverty and inequality, and fostering dialogue within and outside the Catholic Church.
