Vatican City – April 22, 2025 – The Vatican announced on Tuesday that Pope Francis’ funeral will take place at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern) on Saturday at St. Peter’s Basilica, following the pontiff’s death on Monday at age 88 from a stroke and heart failure. The announcement came after a meeting of the College of Cardinals at the Vatican’s headquarters in Rome, marking the start of proceedings to honor the late pope.
A procession carrying Pope Francis’ coffin will occur on Wednesday morning, moving from his residence at Casa Santa Marta—where he passed away—to St. Peter’s Basilica, accompanied by cardinals. The pope’s body, placed in a wooden coffin on Monday, was captured in the first images released by the Vatican on Tuesday. The photos and video show Francis in a red robe, wearing the papal mitre, with a rosary in his hands, lying in the chapel of Santa Marta. Cardinals and church officials performed the formal Confirmation of the Pope’s Death during an intimate service, attended by the Vatican’s Swiss Guards, allowing senior clergy to pay their respects.
Also Read: Pope Francis: A Decade of Firsts, Global Pilgrimages, and Canonizations
The pontiff will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica starting Wednesday, with the funeral Mass to be celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, on Saturday. The papal funeral will follow a traditional three-phase ritual: preparation of the body, public viewing, and burial. After the Mass, Pope Francis will be entombed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a site he frequently visited during his 12-year papacy, located about four miles from the Vatican.
The funeral is expected to draw global leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. European royalty, such as King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, will also attend. Russia’s Vladimir Putin, however, will not be present due to an ICC arrest warrant limiting his travel. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are also confirmed attendees.
Following the funeral, the Cardinal Electors will convene a papal conclave within 15 to 20 days to select the next pope, a process involving approximately 135 cardinals under 80, sealed in the Sistine Chapel until a two-thirds majority elects a new leader.
Key Points: Pope Francis’ Funeral Arrangements
- Funeral Date: Pope Francis’ funeral is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern) at St. Peter’s Basilica, following his death on April 21, 2025, at age 88 from a stroke and heart failure.
- Procession and Viewing: A procession will transfer the pope’s coffin from Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning; he will lie in state there until the funeral.
- First Images: The Vatican released photos and video showing Pope Francis in a wooden coffin, dressed in a red robe with a papal mitre and rosary, during a Confirmation of Death service.
- Attendees: Global leaders like U.S. President Trump, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy, France’s Macron, and European royalty, including Belgium’s King Philippe and Spain’s King Felipe VI, will attend; Russia’s Putin will not due to an ICC warrant.
- Burial Location: After the funeral Mass, Pope Francis will be entombed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a site significant to his papacy, located four miles from the Vatican.
- Conclave Timeline: A papal conclave to elect the next pope will begin 15 to 20 days after his death, involving about 135 eligible cardinals in the Sistine Chapel until a two-thirds majority is reached.
