World bids farewell to Pope Francis: Live updates from Vatican
Photo: Pope Francis (Getty Images)
The Vatican is holding a farewell ceremony for Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21. Thousands of faithful and about 50 world leaders have arrived for the pontiff's funeral, according to the live broadcast of the farewell ceremony.
The funeral mass is taking place at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. The service is being led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals.
After the funeral mass, Pope Francis' coffin will be taken to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. For the first time in 100 years, a pope will be buried outside the walls of the Vatican.
Funeral procession map from the Vatican to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (screenshot from The Guardian).
On Friday, the day before the Pope's funeral, the Vatican announced that 150,000 people had already paid their respects to Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica.
Thousands of people in the Vatican, Rome, and online around the world are now following the farewell ceremony for Pope Francis, who led the Holy See since 2015.
Fifty heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs have also arrived in Rome to participate in the farewell ceremony for Pope Francis. Among them are Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump. Also present at the funeral was Javier Milei, the President of Argentina, from where the pontiff hailed.
Other dignitaries who arrived in Rome include:
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French President Emmanuel Macron;
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer;
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa;
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres;
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British Prince William, King and Queen of Spain;
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Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Funeral ceremony
According to Italian police, approximately 160,000 people gathered at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican to pay their respects to the Pope. Believers also gathered on the surrounding streets to witness the funeral.
According to the Vatican, around 200,000 people are attending the funeral service in total.
