WORLD leaders, royals, and dignitaries have begun arriving in Rome ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis, set to take place on Saturday in St Peter’s Square.
However, in a reflection of the late pontiff’s deep commitment to the marginalised, it will be a group of poor and needy individuals who will be the first to honour him when his casket arrives at the Basilica of St Mary Major for burial.
AP reported U.S. President Donald Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei are among those expected to land in the Italian capital on Friday, the final day that Francis lies in state at St Peter’s Basilica before his coffin is sealed in the evening.
The Vatican has confirmed that 130 official delegations will attend the funeral, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs, underlining the global influence Francis held as the first pope from the Global South.
Francis died on Monday at the age of 88 after suffering a stroke. His death has drawn tens of thousands of mourners to the Vatican, with queues stretching for hours as people came to pay their respects.
Vatican officials extended viewing hours through the night to accommodate the crowds. By Thursday evening, over 90,000 people had passed by his open casket, which lay before the main altar dressed in red vestments, with a bishop’s mitre and a rosary in his hands.
Among the mourners was Emanuela Bisco, who took the day off work to pay tribute to the man she called “the pope of the forgotten.”
“He was close to the simplest people, the homeless who were not pushed away,” she said. “I hope the next pope will be at his level, and continue his struggles, his openness, everything that he did.”
As tributes continue, cardinals from around the world have also begun arriving in Rome for preparatory meetings. The conclave to elect a new pope will not begin until at least 5 May, after nine days of official mourning. Italian Cardinal Fernando Filoni described the process as still in its early stages, saying, “We are getting ready, but we still have not entered into the more intense phase. We are in the organisational phase.”
Francis will be buried at the Basilica of St Mary Major, near an icon of the Madonna that he frequently visited in prayer throughout his pontificate. A group of the poor and vulnerable—whom he consistently championed—will be present to receive his coffin upon its arrival.
Photographs released by the Vatican show a simple marble tombstone laid flat into the basilica floor, inscribed in Latin with the single word “Franciscus”, just as he requested in his will.
Among the many world figures expected at Saturday’s funeral are Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Prince William, Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, Hungarian President Viktor Orbán, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The funeral is expected to draw one of the largest international gatherings at the Vatican in recent memory, closing a chapter on a papacy defined by humility, inclusivity, and a tireless advocacy for the world’s most vulnerable. - April 25, 2025
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