Pope Francis’ wooden coffin was carried into St. Peter’s Square on Saturday at the start of a funeral Mass attended by a multitude of mourners, including powerful world leaders, clerics and pilgrims. Applause rang out as the coffin, inlaid with a large cross, was brought out of St. Peter’s Basilica and into the sun-filled square by 14 […]
President Donald Trump had a brief “very productive” 15-minute meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, a US official said. The pair will hold a second meeting later Saturday. Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky met during 15 minutes at Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, their aides said, marking their first […]
St Peter’s Square in the Vatican is the focus of mourning for Catholics worldwide on April 26, 2025, as the 1.4-billion-member Church farewells their pontiff. Follow Reuters live coverage throughout the day
Whereas Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005 lasted three hours, the service on Saturday is due to take 90 minutes.
More than 200,000 people are expected to attend Pope Francis’ funeral, taking place on Saturday in the huge Vatican square that sits in front of the Basilica of St. Peter, Rome’s public transport company said.
US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, will attend. Trump said in a social media post: “We look forward to being there!”
Unlike many predecessors buried in the Vatican, Francis chose this Marian sanctuary atop the Esquiline Hill, where a “benefactor” has already covered the costs of his burial preparations, as arranged with Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the basilica’s Extraordinary Commissioner.
