Quick Take
Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed.
Pope Francis’ funeral will be held on April 26 in St. Peter’s Square.
He passed away on April 21 due to complications from a stroke.
Over 130 foreign delegations, including 50 heads of state, will attend.
Pope Francis’ Funeral: Pope Francis, 88, the head of the worldwide Catholic Church, will be laid to rest on Saturday (Apr 26) in Rome. The Argentine pontiff died from a stroke on Monday (Apr 21), less than a month after returning home from five weeks in hospital battling double pneumonia. Here are all the details associated with his funeral:
Where and when will the funeral take place?
Pope Francis’ funeral will take place at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on Saturday in the square in front of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Thousands of followers from across the globe are expected to attend the ceremony.
His body will be placed in a cypress-wood coffin before the funeral and then placed in two other coffins that fit inside one another, each made of different types of wood, at his burial site.
Who will attend Pope Francis’ funeral?
The Vatican on Thursday (Apr 24) announced that at least 130 foreign delegations had confirmed their attendance for the event, including 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs.
Asia
India: President Droupadi Murmu
Philippines: President Ferdinand Marcos and First Lady Liza Marcos
Americas
USA: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump
Argentina: President Javier Milei
Brazil: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Janja
United Nations: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres
Europe
France: President Emmanuel Macron
Germany: President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz
Hungary: President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban
Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska
United Kingdom: Prince William representing head of state King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer
Also Read | Pope Francis Dies: Who Will Be The Next Pope, Some Hints To Watch For
Where will Pope Francis be buried?
After the funeral mass on Saturday, Pope Francis will be buried outside the Vatican in St. Mary Major, a basilica in Rome. He will be the first pope in more than five centuries to be buried there.
Who will replace Pope Francis?
The process of choosing a new pope is long and secretive, for which most of the world’s 252 cardinals are coming to Rome to take part. Of the 252, only 138 under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in the conclave.
After the votes are cast for the preferred candidate by each cardinal, three scrutineers tally them. If no candidate receives the required two-thirds majority, voting continues twice each morning and afternoon. Afterwards, the world watches for the traditional smoke signals – black indicating no decision, white announcing that a new pope has been chosen
