The funeral of Pope Francis will begin today at 1:30 pm (IST) in the majestic Baroque plaza in front of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. He will be buried at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome. Many world leaders, including President Droupadi Murmu and US President Donald Trump, will attend the ceremony to honour the Catholic leader.
The funeral is expected to draw up to 200,000 people, with the Italian and Vatican authorities mounting a major security operation. The funeral sets off the first of nine days of official Vatican mourning for Francis, who took over following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013.
Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on April 21 due to a stroke, weeks after he returned home after battling double pneumonia. Just 20 hours before his death, the pontiff had made his last appearance on Easter, reminding the world of the essence of life and urging people to renew the hope for peace.
Here are the latest updates on Pope Francis funeral:
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Trump Pays Tribute To Pope Francis At Vatican
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump paid tributes to Pope Francis ahead of funeral.
“World Will Always Remember His Service”: PM Modi Ahead Of Pope’s Funeral
PM Modi, ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral said that the world will “always remember his service to society”.
“Rashtrapati Ji pays homage to His Holiness, Pope Francis on behalf of the people of India. The world will always remember his service to society,” he wrote in a post on X.
Rashtrapati Ji pays homage to His Holiness, Pope Francis on behalf of the people of India. The world will always remember his service to society. https://t.co/eW73nRp4MZ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 26, 2025
Pope Francis Funeral: World Leaders In Attendance
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
Thousands Gather At Vatican Ahead Of Pope Francis Funeral
Thousands gather at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican ahead of Pope Francis funeral.
Donald Trump In Rome For Pope Francis’ Funeral
US President Donald Trump arrived in Rome on Friday for the funeral of Pope Francis, where he will brush shoulders with an array of world leaders on the unexpected first foreign trip of his second term.
Trump, who was accompanied by wife Melania, had a distant relationship with the late pontiff who criticized him sharply on his signature policy of mass deportations of migrants. But Trump will be centre-stage for a major diplomatic gathering on Saturday with some 50 heads of state, including 10 reigning monarchs, at the Vatican.
President Murmu Pays Homage To Pope Francis In Vatican City
President Droupadi Murmu on Friday paid homage to Pope Francis at the Basilica of St Peter in Vatican City.
“President Droupadi Murmu paid homage to His Holiness Pope Francis at Basilica of St Peter in Vatican City,” her office said in a post on X.
President Murmu is accompanied by Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, George Kurian, and Deputy Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly, Joshua De Souza.
“On April 26, the President will attend the funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City, which will be attended by dignitaries from around the world,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement.
Pope Francis’ Funeral Today, What Happens When
The official programme of the ceremonies for Pope Francis:
9:00 am IST
St Peter’s Square opens.
1:00 pm IST
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive in St Peter’s Square.
1:30 pm IST
The funeral mass begins. It will be presided over by Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals.
Pope Francis’s wooden and zinc coffin, sealed on Friday evening, will be placed in front of the basilica before a temporary raised altar. To its left, facing St Peter’s, will sit the red-robed cardinals. To the right, official delegations from around the world, seated in alphabetical order.
The ceremony should last about 90 minutes, with 224 cardinals and 750 priests and bishops in attendance.
3:00 pm IST
The coffin leaves for Santa Maria Maggiore, the Rome basilica where Pope Francis will be buried.
4:30 pm IST
The coffin arrives at Santa Maria Maggiore, where it will be welcomed by a group of the “poor and needy”.
The burial, presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, will take place in private.
Pope Francis Funeral To Begin Shortly
The funeral of Pope Francis will begin today at 1:30 pm (IST) in the majestic Baroque plaza in front of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. He will be buried at the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome. Many world leaders, including President Droupadi Murmu and US President Donald Trump, will attend the ceremony to honour the Catholic leader.
The funeral is expected to draw up to 200,000 people, with the Italian and Vatican authorities mounting a major security operation. The funeral sets off the first of nine days of official Vatican mourning for Francis, who took over following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013.
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