Pope Francis, the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church, was laid to rest at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, April 26, following a solemn funeral ceremony attended by world leaders, clergy, and hundreds of thousands of mourners.
In keeping with his wishes for a simpler farewell, Pope Francis’s funeral diverged from the elaborate traditions of previous papal ceremonies.
The late pontiff, who passed away at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke on Easter Monday, had requested a modest funeral to reflect his identity as “a pastor and disciple of Christ, and not a powerful person in this world,” according to Vatican officials.
His funeral mass was held on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the Catholic Church’s most significant sites, at 10:00 a.m. local time (4:00 p.m. Philippine time). The service was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.
Over 50 world leaders and 11 reigning monarchs are expected to attend the ceremony, among them U.S. President Donald Trump, Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Roughly 250,000 mourners filled St. Peter’s Square, while more than a million people lined the 6-kilometer procession route from Vatican City to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. 1.4 billion more Catholics watched the event on television or online.
The Mass opened with a traditional Latin chant — “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him” — followed by multilingual Bible readings and the “Prayer of the Faithful” offered in several languages, including French, Arabic, Portuguese, Polish, German, and for the first time, Mandarin.
Before the final commendation, Francis’ coffin, made of simple wood, was sealed in a liturgical rite led by Vatican’s Camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell. It was then driven through the streets of Rome, passing landmarks such as Piazza Venezia and the ancient Colosseum.
A nine-day mourning period known as “novemdiales” is set to begin as the funeral concluded.
