Pope Francis’ Funeral Takes Place In Front Of St. Peters Square

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VATICAN CITY – Presidents, royalty, and a multitude of mourners bade farewell to Pope Francis at his funeral on Saturday, April 26th, 2025.

Applause rang out as the coffin, inlaid with a large cross, was brought out of St. Peter’s Basilica and into the sun-drenched square by 14 white-gloved pallbearers.

Bells tolled as leaders from more than 150 countries took their places.

Dignitaries included U.S. President Donald Trump, who clashed with Francis on numerous occasions over their starkly contrasting positions on immigration.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was also in attendance. Applause rang out in the square on his arrival.

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who presided over the funeral Mass, said the pontiff’s legacy of caring for migrants, the downtrodden, and the environment must not die with him.

Choirs sang Latin hymns, and prayers were recited in several languages, reflecting the global reach of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church.

Aerial views of the Vatican showed a patchwork of colors: black, from the dark attire of the world’s leaders; red, from the vestments of some 250 cardinals; purple, worn by some of the 400 bishops; and white, worn by 4,000 attending priests.

The faithful hurried to the Vatican from the early hours, many camping to try and secure spots at the front of the crowd for the ceremony.

“We want to say goodbye because he’s a living saint, very humble and simple, and he liked it united to all the peace of country.”

The Vatican estimated some 200,000 people had gathered at the start of the service.

The Argentine pope died on Monday, aged 88, following a stroke.

Francis’ death ushers in a meticulously planned period of transition, marked by ancient ritual, pomp, and mourning.

Over the past three days, around 250,000 people filed past his body, which was laid out in an open coffin before the altar of the vast, 16th-century St. Peter’s Basilica.

He will be the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in more than a century, preferring Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major, rather than St. Peter’s, as his final resting place.