Pope Francis’s funeral today; world leaders, thousands to pay last respects

Hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe, heads of state and royals will pay their last respects to Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, at his funeral ceremony on Saturday as he will be laid to rest in a basilica outside the walls of the Vatican – breaking with decades of tradition of being buried within the Vatican.

Departing from centuries-old tradition, the Pontiff will be buried in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore unlike his predecessors who were buried beneath St Peter’s Basilica within the confines of the Vatican. The reason? His request for a “simple” tomb – a few kilometres away, on the outskirts of Rome.

Over the past three days, more than 250,000 people thronged the Vatican to see the Pope for one last time before the time for public viewing ended on Friday and his coffin was sealed.

Pope Francis’s last rites will bring world leaders – some of whom didn’t see eye-to-eye with the Pontiff on current global issues – on one stage.

US President Donald Trump, Indian President Droupadi Murmu, Prince William, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are among the 54 heads of state and 12 reigning royals who will be gathering to pay Pope their final respect.

The death of the first Latin American Pope will set forth ancient rituals, some of which go back more than 2,000 years.

The 88-year-old pontiff died of a stroke as he was recovering from double pneumonia. Even after being advised by his doctors against appearing in public, Francis gave a surprise visit to thousands of followers on Easter Sunday, a day before his death. He appeared frail and sat on a wheelchair, blessing the crowd gathered outside.

At a time when the world is witnessing several conflicts, his last message was directed towards global peace, freedom of religion and expression.

The Pope’s last message to the world on social media platform X – barely 24 hours before his death – was, “Christ is risen! This proclamation contains the entire meaning of our existence, which is not made for death but for life. #Easter.”