Pope Francis funeral – What you need to know

On Saturday 25 April 2025, the world will say their farewells to Pope Francis, a pontiff who will be remembered for all his work with the poor, for modernising the Catholic Church and for bringing people of all faiths together. Pope Francis’s funeral will get underway tomorrow in Rome, in breaking with tradition he will have a much simpler affair than many of his predecessors.

Pope Francis died on Easter Monday at the age of 88 after a period of poor health. The Vatican confirmed he died from a stroke and heart failure.

Pope Francis funeral – When, where and how to watch?

Here’s everything you need to know about the Pope’s funeral tomorrow, including where will the Pope be buried and what happens after the Pope’s funeral. We also look ahead at who’s likely yo be the next Pope.

When is the Pope’s funeral?

• Pope Francis funeral will begin at 10:00 local time (9:00 BST)
• All major TV stations (BBC, Sky News, ITV) will have live feeds of the funeral. You can also watch online via YouTube or broadcast streaming services
• The funeral will be held in St Peter’s Square in Rome
• The outdoor service will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re
• More than 170 foreign leaders, as well as tens of thousands of members of the public are expected to attend

Where will the Pope be buried?

• He will be buried at Saint Mary Major Basilica, deviating from the tradition of burial in St. Peter’s Basilica, marking a break in nearly 150 years of precedent.
• He requested a modest burial without elaborate funeral rites, preferring to be laid to rest “with dignity, but like any other Christian.”
• His remains will be placed near the Mary Regina Pacis statue.

Who is attending the Pope’s funeral?

• Kier Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sergio Mattarella and Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Michael D Higgins and Micheál Martin, the president and taoiseach of Ireland, Andrzej Duda, the president of Poland, will be there, as will Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and its prime minister, Luís Montenegro.
• Prince William and Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia.

Leaders from the Americas

• Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Javier Milei the president of Argentina. Mexico will be represented by interior minister, Rosa Icela Rodríguez.

Others in attendance

• Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the president of the Philippines and Russia’s Olga Lyubimova will be in attendance.

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Lying in state – World prepares to say goodbye to Pope Francis

Today is the last day Pope Francis is lying in state, and as of Friday morning, more than 130,000 people had filed past the coffin to pay their respects. His body has been lying in state in an open wooden coffin in St Peter’s Basilica since Wednesday morning.

The lines will close at 6pm tonight.

What happens after the pope’s funeral?

Saturday’s funeral will mark the beginning of the Novemdiales – the nine days of mourning and masses offered for the repose of Francis’s soul.

Attention will then turn to the business of choosing his successor.

The conclave held to appoint a new pope usually begins between 15 and 20 days after the previous pontiff’s death.

Once assembled in the Sistine Chapel, 135 cardinal electors will swear an oath of absolute secrecy and begin their deliberations.

After each round of secret voting, the ballot cards are burned and chemicals are added to make the smoke either black or white.

Black smoke lets those gathered outside know that the ballot are inconclusive.

White smoke means the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics have a new pope.

Who’s likely to be the next pope?

It’s difficult to predict – but some of the names currently being discussed are: Matteo Zuppi, a progressive Italian cardinal; Pietro Parolin, who serves as the Vatican’s secretary of state; and Luis Antonio Tagle, from the Philippines.

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