Pope Francis’s funeral will be held this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced Tuesday, as tributes poured in from around the globe and world leaders confirmed their attendance.
The 88-year-old Argentine pontiff passed away on Monday following a stroke, just weeks after returning home from a prolonged hospital stay for double pneumonia. His death marks the end of a 12-year papacy that was widely seen as transformative for the Catholic Church.
Among those expected to attend the funeral are U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, joining thousands of mourners anticipated to gather in Vatican City.
According to Vatican tradition, Francis had requested a simple wooden and zinc coffin. Following the funeral service in the square, the coffin will be moved into St. Peter’s Basilica before being transferred to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where the Pope will be laid to rest.
The funeral date was confirmed during the first “general congregation” of cardinals held Tuesday morning—a centuries-old procedure that formally launches preparations for selecting a new pontiff, a process expected to conclude within three weeks.
In a poignant moment of farewell, the Vatican released the first images of the late pope in an open coffin during a service at the Casa Santa Marta, his Vatican residence and the place where he passed away.
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