Thousands of mourners are paying their respects ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday.
The pontiff will be laid to rest on Saturday morning in a service led by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.
Francis' body is currently lying in state at St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where it will remain until Friday evening. The Vatican said on Thursday evening more than 90,000 members of the public have queued and filed past Francis’s open coffin.
Just as it had done on Wednesday evening, the basilica remained open overnight on Thursday to allow as many people to pay their respects as possible.
Vast crowds are expected to gather for Saturday’s funeral in St Peter’s Square. The service will be attended by the highest-ranking members of the Catholic Church as well as major political leaders.
Following Saturday’s open-air funeral, Francis’ remains will be taken through the streets of Rome as his body is brought to a simple underground tomb in the basilica of Saint Mary Major, where he said he wished to be buried.
Francis died after suffering a stroke at his home in Vatican City at around 7.30am on April 21.
Francis' coffin viewed by 250,000 mourners since Wednesday
Some 250,000 people have passed by Francis’s coffin over the past three days.
Shortly, the coffin will be closed ahead of Saturday's funeral service.
Who is attending the funeral from the UK and Irish governments?
The British Government delegation includes prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who will be accompanied by his wife Victoria.
Also attending will be foreign secretary David Lammy, UK ambassador to the Vatican Chris Trott and the PM's private secretary for foreign affairs Alisa Terry.
In the order of precedence, the UK Government delegation is listed between groups from Qatar and Serbia led by those countries’ heads of government.
Ireland’s delegation is led by the President Michael D Higgins, and also includes his wife Sabina Higgins, Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Simon Harris, and ambassador to the Vatican Frances Collins.
The Irish delegation falls between groups from Indonesia and Iceland which are also led by those countries’ heads of state.
'Order of precedence' for international attendees of funeral revealed
An official listing reveals the 'order of precedence' for international attendees of the Pope's funeral.
Prince William is listed beside Prince Haakon, who is the Prince of Norway.
The two prices are listed in their own category as crown princes, and are followed in the order of precedence by representatives from the Andorran government.
Donald Trump leaves White House ahead of Pope's funeral
Donald and Melania Trump have left the White House to travel to Rome ahead of the Pope's funeral.
The US President and First Lady boarded Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House this afternoon.
Funeral to be ‘symbol of humility’ – head of Catholic aid group
Pope Francis’s funeral will be “a symbol of his humility”, the head of a Catholic aid organisation has said.
Christine Allen, director of the Catholic Agencies For Overseas Development (Cafod), said the late pontiff left a “massive legacy” and had dedicated his papacy to trying to make the world a better place.
Speaking at Cafod’s office in central London, Mrs Allen said:
“I think this particular funeral is different to other papal funerals. What we are seeing is a symbol of Pope Francis’s humility… his love, his concern for the people who are the poorest.”
Francis introduced changes to the papal funeral rites in 2024 which were aimed at simplifying the ceremonies.
While his predecessors St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI lay in state upon an elevated bier, Francis’s body rested inside a simple coffin barely raised from the floor of St Peter’s Basilica.
Francis also asked for his tomb to be “in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, and bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.”
Mrs Allen said:
“Pope Francis was really clear… that we are to be a Church of the poor for the poor. He wanted the Church to be ‘dirty and on the streets’, not kind of enrobed in finery. And we can see some of that in terms of the funeral."
She added:
"Pope Francis was really clear as well that we need to respond to when people are in need, but we also have to ask why, and tackle the causes of that poverty. So he spoke out about the nature of our economy. He spoke out about the way in which refugees and migrants are treated. He railed against politicians for whooping up nationalistic xenophobia. He called on us to have a better world. And that’s, I think a massive legacy that he leaves us.”
Final mourners to enter St Peter's before Pope's coffin is closed this evening
The final mourners are queuing up to see Francis' body before he is moved ready for the funeral.
He has been lying in state since Wednesday, with a live stream of inside the basilica showing people queueing to see him over the last three days.
The queue for the basilica will close to the public at 6pm local time, with viewings expected to end at 7pm.
The live stream will then be stopped for the closing of the coffin, which has been described as a “private act”.
Ahead of the lying in state coming to an end, an emergency alert rang out on phones in Vatican City with a warning from the civil protection department that public access to St Peter’s Square would be closing at 5pm.
Argentinian dignitaries will take precedence at Francis' funeral
With hundreds of world leaders and dignitaries expected to show up for the funeral, further details of how they will be seated at the open-air ceremony have been revealed.
A Vatican spokesperson said that those from Francis’s birth country of Argentina will take precendence, followed by those from Italy.
Thereafter, reigning sovereigns will be seated “in alphabetical order, but in French language”, followed by heads of state.
How to watch Pope Francis' funeral in the UK
The funeral of Pope Francis will be broadcast live across the world.
There are several options for watching it in the UK, which you can read about here.
What to expect from the Pope's funeral
The funeral of Pope Francis will take place in St Peter's Sqaure at 10am local time on Saturday morning, with thousands in attendance, and millions more watching from home.
Huge crowds are expected to gather for the outdoor mass, which will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who is the dean of the College of Cardinals.
The Prince of Wales will attend on behalf of the King, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is among the world leaders confirmed to be attending. US President Donald Trump has said he will be there with his wife Melania, while President of Ireland Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina, Irish premier Micheal Martin and deputy Irish premier Simon Harris will also attend.
While a requiem mass is usually a standard length of around an hour, Joe Ronan, who works with the Catholic Voices media charity, said that “with the practicalities of working with that number of people” including those wishing to receive Holy Communion, it is likely to run closer to 90 minutes.
The funeral marks the first day of 'novendiali' – a period of official mourning lasting nine days - with the final day on Sunday May 4.
UK Cardinal reflects on 'significance' of selecting the next Pope
Cardinal Vincent Nichols will be one of three UK cardinals to take part in the conclave process to elect the next pope.
While he is eligble to be a candiate, he has said he does not expect “for half a second to be the one who is asked to pick up this cross” and become the next Pope.
However, he said he will “try my utmost to play a good part in the process”.
Asked about having described the prospect as intimidating, he said:
“It’s the weight, the consequence of the choice we make, which is, even on the world stage, is significant.”
He described being chosen as pope as “a moment of a mini death, almost” for someone who at that point places “themselves into the hands of the Church to be offered to God”.
On his thoughts about a future pontiff, Cardinal Nichols said:
“I think the next pope is going to have to carry on that work (by Francis) of speaking to the hearts of people about hope, about the mercy of God, about the highest calling of what it means to be a human being.”
Pictured: Preparations for the funeral continue
The funeral will be held in the open air in St Peter's Sqaure.
Barricades have been set up and chairs have been out out as people continue to arrive in the square to see the body of Pope Francis lying in state.
What happens after the funeral?
Following Saturday’s open-air funeral in St Peter's Sqaure, Francis’s remains will be taken through the streets of Rome to his final resting place.
Francis stated before his death that he wanted to be buried in the basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, unlike other Popes who are traditionally buried inside Vatican City.
His body will be taken to a simple underground tomb as per his instructions.
Leader of Catholics in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said this will be a meaningful move for the people of Rome.
He said it will "give the people of Rome, especially, something that they will appreciate very deeply". Cardinal Nichols said the Pope's "favourite title was ‘I’m Bishop of Rome’, so they will say goodbye to their bishop".
The nine-day period of mourning will begin after the funeral takes place.
The formation of the conclave, to elect a new Pope, will then begin after that, likely around May 5.
'All bets are off' on who will be the new Pope - Vatican expert
The identity of the next pope is “totally unpredictable”, according to one Vatican expert.
Cardinals will gather to vote for Pope Francis’s successor at the behind-closed-doors meeting, known as conclave, following nine days of mourning.
UK theologian Professor Anna Rowlands, who is originally from Manchester but now based in Durham, spent two years seconded to the Vatican during Francis’ papacy.
She said the conclave will be dominated by Cardinal members chosen by Francis in his lifetime. “There are more African cardinals, there are more Asian Cardinals. There are more Cardinals from countries where we would expect cardinals to come from, but not necessarily the obvious candidates," she said.
Asked who is in the running to be the next pope, she said any predictions are currently based on “pure speculation”.
She said:
"Genuinely nobody knows. It’s not an evasion of the question. I think all bets are off."
“And that’s partly because the process is genuinely both secret, so it happens in private, but also because the makeup of this College of Cardinals is very different from anyone that’s been here to elect a pope before.”
She added:
“It’s going to be, I think, a surprise conclave, that is totally unpredictable at this point, but I think will produce, potentially, a really interesting candidate who possibly none of us will know.”
Bishop tells of tears at Vatican for Pope Francis ahead of funeral
A bishop at the Vatican has told of the tears shed among colleagues for Pope Francis.
Bishop Paul Tighe, who has been based at the Vatican for 17 years, said while Francis had been unwell, there was still a sense of shock about his death on Easter Monday, followed by a “madness” as people were “scattering to get back from wherever they were” over the holiday weekend.
Speaking to the PA news agency in Rome on the eve of what will be a massive papal funeral, Bishop Tighe said while “the machine has kicked in fairly quickly” in terms of preparations for what comes next, there was still a sense of real loss among those in the Vatican for a man dubbed the people’s pope.
The 67-year-old said:
"The first emotion for most people is probably a sense of shock. We kind of knew this was coming, but it’s like when an elderly relative dies, you might be waiting but when the moment comes, it’s kind of a shock, and you suddenly realise you’re in a new position.
"In the last few days, I’ve seen many of my colleagues – we all found a moment to go up and visit the body – lots of tears, not just the stoic ‘let’s move on’. Lots of tears, lots of sadness for so many people."
Pictured: Inside St Peter's as thousands pay their respects
Thousands of people have queued up to see the Pope as he lies in state inside St Peter's Basilica.
The last few hundred will file past the coffin today before he is moved tonight, ready for the funeral to take place tomorrow.
Pope’s funeral to be 'a masterpiece in managing big egos'
A UK cardinal has predicted that Pope Francis' funeral will be a “masterpiece” in stage managing “big egos” as world leaders fly in to pay their respects.
The leader of Catholics in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said organisers of what will be an enormous gathering of well-known names “are geniuses at dealing with these big events”.
In an interview with the PA news agency in Rome, the Archbishop of Westminster said the funeral will be “without a doubt another masterpiece of stage management when you consider those state leaders who have high opinions of their importance”.
He added:
“In the past, I’ve seen it here over and over again that the combination of Rome and the Holy See, they actually are geniuses at dealing with these big events.
“I think they’ve been doing it since the emperors ruled Rome – that they know how to deal with big egos.
“And I think every leader of a nation that comes here on Saturday, will go home reasonably content.”
Funeral preparations underway
Funeral preparation is underway in St Peter's Square and Italian police are already on the ground managing crowds.
An altar has been placed at the front of the open-air space and seats have been set out for cardinals as well as world leaders.
Among the guests will be UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, Prince William, who is attending on behalf of the King, French president Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and US president Donald Trump with First Lady Melania.
Scaffolding has been erected to provide international media with the best vantage points overlooking the square as it is expected that the funeral will be watched by millions of people around the world.
When is a new Pope elected?
A new Pope will be elected after Saturday's funeral.
Right now, the Catholic Church is in a transitional period and is under the leadership of the College of Cardinals.
To elect a new Pope, eligible cardinals will meet in the Sistine Chapel to form a conclave.
The conclave usually begins between 15 and 20 days after a Pope’s death, which would be between Tuesday, May 6 and Suinday, May 11.
The delay gives Cardinals who are travelling from across the globe time to arrive in Rome. However, the conclave could begin earlier if Cardinals agree to it.
Once the conclave is formed, Cardinals take part in several rounds of voting to decide who will be the next Pope. To be elected, a candidate must get two thirds of the vote.
The process can take several days until a decision is made. Up to four rounds of voting can be held each day.
According to the Guardian, the longest papal conclave in recent history was in 1922, when it took five days for Cardinals to choose a new leader.
Mourners still queuing to pay their respects
Final mourners are queueing up for their last chance to see Pope Francis’s remains.
So far, tens of thousands of members of the public have queued and filed past Francis’s open coffin in St Peter’s Basilica, during its three-day lying-in-state which will end on Friday evening.
The church extended its opening hours to ensure as many people as possible could visit before the funeral on Saturday.
When and where will Pope Francis' funeral take place?
The funeral for Pope Francis will be held in St Peter's Sqaure in the Vatican on Saturday morning.
The service is set to begin at 10am local time, which is 9am in the UK.
Thousands of mourners are expected to gather to pay their respects.
