The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM in St. Peter’s Square.
The service will be held outdoors, in front of St Peter’s Basilica, and led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re.
At the end of the funeral Mass, Cardinal Re will deliver the final commendation a solemn prayer entrusting Pope Francis to God before the body is transported to the Basilica of St Mary Major for burial.
Ahead of the ceremony, Pope Francis’s body will be moved to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday at 09:00 local time, where it will lie in state, allowing members of the public to pay their respects.
Currently, his body is resting in a coffin at the chapel of the Santa Marta residence, where he lived during his 12-year papacy. The Vatican has shared photographs showing him in an open coffin, dressed in red papal robes with the mitre on his head and a rosary in hand.
Leaders from across the globe have confirmed their attendance at the funeral, including U.S President Donald Trump, Argentinian President Javier Milei, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Several Latin American countries have declared days of national mourning in honor of the passing of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff.
The countries include Argentina Pope Francis’ home country, Venezuela, Cuba, Panama and Costa Rica.
