The Vatican is finalizing all arrangements for the state funeral of Pope Francis, set to take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square.
The funeral is expected to draw over 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs, making it one of the largest gatherings of global leaders in recent history.
Among the dignitaries expected in Rome on Friday evening are U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and leaders from across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Tight security ahead of historic ceremony
Security in the Vatican and surrounding Rome has been dramatically tightened ahead of the ceremony. Italian and Vatican police have:
Blocked drone usage in the area
Deployed snipers to rooftops
Placed fighter jets on standby
Set up additional checkpoints to screen attendees
Authorities announced that final checkpoints would be activated late Friday night, ahead of the funeral.
As the public farewell enters its final hours, St. Peter’s Basilica remains open to mourners queuing to view Pope Francis’s open coffin. Over 128,000 people have already passed through since the late pontiff was laid in state on Wednesday.
The Vatican extended the basilica’s visiting hours for a second consecutive night, remaining open until 2:30 a.m. and reopening just three hours later on Friday morning to accommodate the massive crowds.
The pope’s coffin will be officially closed at 8:00 p.m. local time in a private ceremony attended by senior cardinals and church officials.
For many who made the pilgrimage, the moment was deeply spiritual and emotional.
“Night is the most intimate moment, the Lord always manifests himself at night,” said Nicoletta Tomassetti, 60, after praying before the pope’s coffin during the early hours of Friday. “I asked the pope for some things and I know he will give them to me.”
Another mourner, Miracles Luna, a 74-year-old retired doctor from the Dominican Republic, said, “He was very merciful, identified with the people, poor people. For me, for us, he is the best one.”
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church, died at 88 on Monday, April 21, just one day after celebrating Easter Sunday at the Vatican. His death followed a battle with severe pneumonia that kept him hospitalized in late March.
Francis will be remembered as a humble, reform-minded, and socially conscious pope, known for championing the poor, promoting interfaith dialogue, and standing up for global justice.
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