Pope Francis’s passing after 12 years as the head of the Catholic Church has triggered nine days of official mourning in Italy. There’s a chance to see his open casket in St Peter’s Basilica from now until 7pm on Friday – and you can read more about that here.
However, if you’re not in Rome but still want to pay your respects to the late Pope, we’ve compiled everything you need to know about his funeral including when it starts, what happens, who will be attending and how to watch it. Read on for all the information, and keep an eye on this page for all the updates.
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Funeral schedule: key events and timings
The funeral will begin at 10am local time on Saturday April 26, and will be presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re.
According to the New York Times, it begins with a procession led by a cross-carrying priest, followed by the coffin and ordained clergy. The coffin gets set down with a book of the Gospels put on top, and then the funeral mass begins. Pope Francis’s wishes for a ‘signal of simplicity’, so his service is expected to be less elaborate than previous popes.
Where will the Pope’s funeral take place?
Pope Francis’s funeral will take place outside in front of the doors of St Peter’s Basilica.
Who is expected to attend the funeral?
Lots of world leaders and political figures are expected at the Pope’s funeral on Saturday, and below is a list of all those who have been confirmed, according to Sky News.
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier
- Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
- Polish President Andrzej Duda
- EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
- US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron
- Javier Milei, the president of Argentina
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer
- The Prince of Wales
- Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheal Martin and his minister of foreign affairs Simon Harris will both attend the funeral.
- Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia
- Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and Prime Minister Bart De Wever
- East Timor’s president Jose Ramos-Horta
- Hungary’s president Tamas Sulyok
- Italian president Sergio Mattarella and prime minister Giorgia Meloni
- Latvian president Edgars Rinkevics
- Lithuanian president Gitanas Nauseda
- Switzerland’s president Karin Keller-Sutter
How to watch the Pope’s funeral live online
Major TV networks across the planet, including Sky News and the BBC, will be broadcasting the funeral, and Vatican Media is expected to offer a live stream on YouTube and its official websites, according to the Standard. As for streaming the funeral online, we’ll keep updating this page with the latest information.
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