The world will bid farewell to Pope Francis on Saturday, April 26, 2025, with a solemn funeral ceremony in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City.
This marks the end of the journey of the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, who passed away on April 21, 2025.
When and where
The funeral Mass will commence at 11 am on the parvis of St Peter’s Basilica, which is the outdoor area in front of the basilica’s facade.
This is the same location where Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral was held on January 5, 2023.
While the Vatican has not announced the expected duration of the service, previous papal funerals provide some guidance.
For instance, Pope Benedict XVI’s funeral lasted approximately 90 minutes, while St John Paul II’s funeral extended to about three hours.
Funeral liturgy
According to the Vatican’s website, the Holy See, the funeral Mass will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, alongside an assembly of patriarchs, cardinals, bishops, and priests from across the globe.
The Gospel reading will come from John 21, recounting Jesus’s threefold question to Peter, while other readings include Acts 10, featuring Peter’s testimony about Jesus as judge of the living and dead, and Philippians 3, where St Paul speaks of heavenly citizenship and bodily transformation.
Following the Mass, the ‘Paradisum’ antiphon will be sung, praying for angels to guide the pope into paradise.
Chosen resting place
In his 2022 will, the Argentinian pontiff specifically requested that his tomb be placed in a side aisle between the Pauline Chapel, which houses the Salus Populi Romani, and the Sforza Chapel, near a statue known as Mary Regina Pacis (Mary, Queen of Peace).
“Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey,” the will reads in part.
Francis also requested that his tomb be simple, placed in the ground, and bear only the inscription ‘Franciscus,’ the Latin version of his chosen papal name.
Global attendance
The Vatican reports that over 200,000 mourners are expected to attend, including many world leaders.
Confirmed attendees include U.S. President Donald Trump, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and King Felipe VI of Spain.
African representation will be particularly strong, with President William Ruto of Kenya and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula joining leaders from Angola, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, Mozambique, Madagascar, Morocco, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Burundi. King Letsie III of Lesotho will also attend.
Breaking with tradition
Pope Francis will be the first pope since Leo XIII in 1903 to be buried outside Vatican walls.
According to the Vatican, the funeral procession will cross the Tiber River and pass the ancient Colosseum on its way to the basilica.
Traditionally, a pope’s burial involves three nested coffins made of cypress, lead, and oak—each with symbolic significance. However, in his will, Francis requested a simpler wooden coffin with a zinc interior.
Nine days of mourning
The funeral will mark the beginning of the traditional “Novendiales,” nine consecutive days of mourning for the suffrage of the late pope.
During this period, a requiem Mass will be celebrated each night in St Peter’s Basilica, with different cardinals presiding. Each Mass will focus on a specific group of the faithful.
The Holy See has confirmed that the Mass on Sunday, April 27, 2025—the second day of the Novendiales—will centre on the Jubilee of Teenagers and will be celebrated by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
