Pope Francis’s funeral ceremony will take place in St. Peter’s Square today at 11 am (Cyprus time), with thousands of mourners and world leaders, including Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Donald Trump, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Volodymyr Zelensky in attendance.
Following the service, the pontiff’s remains will be transferred to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial, marking Francis’s final break with Vatican tradition by choosing this location rather than the traditional papal burial site.
More than 200,000 faithful are expected to attend the ceremony, alongside approximately 130 international delegations including 50 heads of state. Security operations involve deployment of over 2,500 police officers and 1,500 soldiers, with naval vessels positioned offshore and fighter aircraft on standby.
The funeral marks the beginning of nine days of mourning for the Roman Catholic Church, with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the 91-year-old Dean of the College of Cardinals, presiding over the service. An additional memorial Mass will be held on Sunday, conducted by Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, considered among the leading candidates for papal succession.
Funeral attendees must adhere to strict dress codes with men required to wear dark suits with black ties, while women must wear long black dresses with veils. Cardinals will wear white damask mitres while archbishops and bishops will wear their ceremonial red vestments.
The Vatican is expected to announce the date for the conclave to select Francis’s successor in the coming days, with proceedings unlikely to commence before May 6.
