Pope Francis is set to be buried in a funeral this weekend, bringing foreign dignitaries and worshippers together to mourn the world’s loss, but the services will include an honoring of some of his final wishes.
Francis, 88, died Monday morning, hours after his final public appearance on Easter Sunday. Francis’ death certificate, released by the Vatican overnight showed the revered pope died from a stroke that prompted irreversible heart failure.
More than 250,000 people paid their last respects to Francis over three days of public viewing by ordinary mourners, church and political leaders that ended Friday, when his coffin was sealed ahead of his state funeral in St. Peter’s Square and burial in a basilica outside the Vatican’s walls.
World leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei, along with royalty, converged on Rome for the funeral.
Here’s what to expect and how to watch the services:
When is Pope Francis’ funeral?
According to the Vatican, Pope Francis’ funeral will be held at 10 a.m. local time, or 3 a.m. CT on Saturday. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will preside over the funeral liturgy, officials said. President Donald Trump is expected to attend, the White House said.
Where will Pope Francis be buried?
Pope Francis chose his place of burial in St. Mary Major Basilica, near an icon of the Madonna that he revered, because it reflects his “humble, simple and essential’’ life, the archbishop who administers the basilica said Friday.
Francis will be buried in a niche tomb in the basilica on Saturday after his funeral in St. Peter’s Square about 2.5 miles away.
Francis initially demurred when Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas suggested in May 2022 that he choose St. Mary Major as his last resting place. Makrickas had identified it because of the pontiff’s long association with the basilica, its ties to Francis’ Jesuit order, its artistic and spiritual heritage and links to the papacy. Seven other popes are buried there, but none since 1669.
At first, “he said no because popes are buried in St. Peter’s,” Makrickas told reporters on the steps of the basilica. “After a week, he called me to (his home at the Vatican) Santa Marta and he said ‘Prepare my tomb.’”
The pope later insisted that his tomb remain simple, stressing that people should still come to the basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary “to venerate the Madonna, not to see the tomb of a pope,” Makrickas said.
Where can you watch the services?
NBC Chicago will offer special coverage of the funeral live from 2:55 a.m. – 5 a.m. CT. The feed will appear live in the player above as it begins.
What were his final wishes?
In keeping with Francis’ embrace of the marginalized, the Vatican said a group of poor and needy people will meet the pope’s coffin to pay homage to him when it arrives at St. Mary Major Basilica for burial on Saturday. It has already become a point of pilgrimage.
The tomb is being prepared behind a wooden barrier within the basilica that he chose. The burial will take place in private, the Vatican said.
Photos released by the Vatican on Friday show the marble tombstone flat against the pavement, with the simple engraving in Latin that he requested in his last testament: “Franciscus.”
Cardinals will visit the St. Mary Major Basilica on Sunday. Entering through the Holy Door, they will visit the Salus Populi Romani icon, which was dear to Francis, and celebrate evening prayers, the Vatican said.
Who will attend the funeral?
The Vatican said that 164 delegations are confirmed, including 54 heads of state and 12 reigning sovereigns. French President Emmanuel Macron, who will also attend the funeral, was among those who made it in time to pay last respects to the pope.
Trump, who is traveling with first lady Melania Trump, was scheduled to arrive Friday, after Francis’ coffin has been sealed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s press office previously confirmed his presence, but he told reporters Friday evening on the site of a recent missile attack that he will attend if time permits, given obligations at home related to the ongoing war.
Among the other foreign dignitaries confirmed for the papal funeral are:
— U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer
— Prince William
— King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain
— Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
— Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
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