Pope Francis will be laid to rest this Saturday, as dignitaries, church leaders, and mourners from around the world gather to honor his legacy. The ceremony marks not only the passing of a spiritual leader but also a significant departure from long-standing papal traditions.
Francis passed away six days ago at the age of 88 due to complications from a stroke and heart failure. Since his death, tens of thousands have paid their respects while he lay in state at St. Peter’s Basilica.
The funeral mass will take place Saturday morning at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square, situated directly in front of the iconic basilica in Vatican City. Following the mass, the pope’s body will be transported for burial not within the Vatican, but at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome — making him the first pope in more than a century to be interred outside Vatican grounds.
This decision reflects Pope Francis’ deep devotion to St. Mary Major, a site where he often prayed before and after his international journeys and during pivotal moments such as the COVID-19 pandemic. “I’ve always had a great devotion to St. Mary Major, even before I became pope,” he said in El Sucesor, an autobiographical interview published in 2024.
In addition to his chosen burial site, Francis personally requested that his funeral be modest and in keeping with the simplified rites he had advocated for all future popes. He made these wishes known well before his passing, aiming to model humility even in death.
The ceremony will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals — the body tasked with selecting the next pope in the coming weeks. He will be joined by an array of religious leaders including patriarchs, bishops, priests, and laypeople from around the world.
Attendance is expected to reach up to 200,000 people, with more than 100 foreign delegations arriving in Rome. Among the world leaders confirmed to attend are former U.S. President Donald Trump, in his first foreign visit of his second term, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and presidents and royals from Argentina, Ukraine, Brazil, France, Ireland, Poland, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Prince William will attend on behalf of King Charles III.
Notably absent will be Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, according to Russian media, will not attend. He is currently under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
The ceremony will begin with a solemn procession through St. Peter’s Square, led by a priest carrying a cross. Once the pope’s coffin is placed before the gathered faithful, a book of the Gospels will be laid atop it. On Friday night, the coffin will be sealed in a private rite, concluding the period of public mourning.
The Vatican will provide live coverage of the funeral and the procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major via the Vatican News YouTube channel. However, the burial itself will take place privately.
Pope Francis’ final journey mirrors his papacy: humble, deeply spiritual, and intentionally unconventional.
