Pope Francis is set to be buried with a heartwarming obituary describing the 266th pontiff as a ‘simple and much-loved shepherd’.
The pontiff, whose death at 88 was announced by the Vatican on Easter Monday, is being buried today in a funeral service attended by the world’s leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Prince William and Sir Keir Starmer.
Up to 500,000 people are expected to gather for the open-air service, some of them camping out in the streets on Friday night after travelling from across the world.
Francis had been lying in state in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc at the St Peter’s Basilica since Wednesday morning for three days in public view, before the coffin was sealed ahead of his funeral today.
The obituary placed in his coffin described how Francis was the 266th Pope and that he would ‘remain in the heart of the Church and of humanity’.
It added that while in Buenos Aries as Archbishop he was a ‘simple and much-loved shepherd’ who ‘traveled far and wide across the city on the underground and the bus, cooking his own meals because he felt one of the people’.
It closed by saying: ‘Francis has left everyone a wonderful testimony of humanity, life of a saint and universal fatherhood.’
The zinc inner lid that covered his body carried his name, a cross and his coat of arms and the of his papacy, 2013-2025, unlike previous Popes his was just a single coffin whereas previous ones had three caskets.
Pope Francis is seen lying in state in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc at the St Peter’s Basilica ahead of his funeral today
Pope Francis ‘ coffin was sealed on Friday, ahead of his funeral on Saturday morning
Pope Francis’s coffin is closed in the Rite of Sealing of the Coffin at St Peter’s Basilica
World leaders, dignitaries and tens of thousands of mourners gathered in St Peter’s Square on Saturday to bid farewell to Pope Francis, one of the most radical Catholic leaders of modern times.
From first light, thousands of people made their way along Via della Conciliazione – the grand thoroughfare that leads to the Vatican – singing hymns, praying and swapping stories about Pope Francis.
Upon the beginning of the service, archbishops and bishops will begin to assemble in the Constantine Wing, a corridor adjacent to St Peter’s Basilica. They will wear chasuble (the outer garment worn by clergy during services), alb, belts and a simple white mitre.
Priests and deacons will also assemble at 8.30am in the area set aside for them in St Peter’s Square. They will wear a chasuble, alb, belt and a red stole.
At 9am, the patriarchs and cardinals will meet in Saint Sebastian’s Chapel in the Basilica. They will wear the white Damascene mitre.
They will all then walk in the funeral procession alongside Francis’s coffin, where the late Pope will be dressed in a red chasuble, damask and golden papal mitre.
At 10am local time (9am BST) the funeral will begin and the coffin will be laid in the square in front of St Peter’s Basilica.
The service will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Deacon of the College of Cardinals.
The body of Pope Francis lies in a casket before it’s sealed, at St. Peter’s Basilica, ahead of his funeral at the Vatican, April 25, 2025
This photo taken and handout on April 25, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows the rite of the Velatio before to seal the coffin of Pope Francis on the eve of his funeral at The Vatican
The zinc inner lid that covering the Pope’s body carried his name, a cross and his coat of arms and the of his papacy, 2013-2025
The Prince of Wales, who is attending the service on behalf of the King, is listed beside the Prince of Norway in the ‘order of precedence’ for international attendees.
William and Haakon are listed in their own category as crown princes, and are followed in the order of precedence by representatives from the Andorran government.
The British Government delegation includes Sir Keir Starmer, who will be accompanied by his wife Victoria, as well as Foreign Secretary David Lammy, UK ambassador to the Vatican Chris Trott, and Ailsa Terry, the Prime Minister’s private secretary for foreign affairs.
The UK Government delegation is listed between groups from Qatar and Serbia led by those countries’ heads of government.
Ireland’s delegation comes ahead of both William and the British Government delegation as it is led by head of state President Michael D Higgins.
It falls between groups from Indonesia and Iceland, also led by those countries’ heads of state.
Francis’s birth country Argentina will take precedence in the seating, followed by Italy.
The reigning sovereigns will then be seated in alphabetical order in the French language, followed by heads of state.
The French language is used as traditionally French was considered the language of diplomacy.
Tens of thousands of people are gathering in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican City to bid farewell to Pope Francis after his death at 88
Mourners in St Peter’s Square hold aloft a banner which reads: ‘Goodbye father, teacher and poet’
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport last night after travelling on board Air Force One
Other figures expected to be in attendance include US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as former US president Joe Biden.
The funeral will follow the Funeral Rites of the Roman Pontiff and the guidelines set out in Universi Dominici Gregis, a document issued by Pope John Paul II in 1996.
The ceremony will begin with the entrance antiphon, a selection of psalm verses or scripture passages that are traditionally sung or recited.
This will be followed by the Penitential Act which allows the faithful to confess their sins to God.
The opening prayer comes after the Penitential Act. The first reading will be given in English by Kielce Gussie, a journalist from Vatican News.
The second reading will be delivered in Spanish by Edgar Pineda. This will be followed by the Universal prayers.
Before the end of the mass, Cardinal Re will sprinkle the coffin with holy water and incense.
At the end of the service, valedictory rite and final commendation, where the Pope is formally entrusted to God, will take place.
Francis’s coffin will then be carried to the left of the altar at St Peter’s.
Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria are seen arriving for the Pope’s funeral as part of the British Government delegation – alongside Foreign Secretary David Lammy
Prince William is seen arriving at St Peter’s Square for the pope’s funeral following the Catholic leader’s death at the age of 88
Faithful gather at the Vatican obelisk in St Peter’s Square on Saturday ahead of Francis’ funeral
At the end of the funeral – approximately 11.45am local time – the procession will begin.
Francis’s coffin will be taken from St Peter’s Square to Santa Maria Maggiore where he will be buried. This is expected to take around 30 minutes, depending on crowds.
The route crosses the river Tiber and passes Piazza Venezia followed by the Colosseum.
Francis left instructions asking to be buried in a simple underground tomb in Rome’s papal basilica of Saint Mary Major.
The burial will be held in private.
This makes Francis the first pontiff in more than a century not to be buried at St Peter’s Basilica. The last pope who asked to be buried outside of the Vatican was Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903.
