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The world will today bid farewell to Pope Francis whose funeral service and burial will take place in Rome in an elaborate ceremony that is well-laid out for pontiffs.
Ahead of his funeral, the body of the late pontiff was sealed in the coffin on Friday evening, marking the end of three days of public viewing.
A white cloth was placed over the pope’s faith with a collection of medals and coins from his reign as the pope also going into the coffin.
An account of his papacy was read out loud to those in attendance and placed in a tube which went into the coffin.
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The ceremony was only attended by the pope’s close family members and cardinals.
Funeral service
Pope Francis will be buried at his chosen final resting place in a simple underground tomb at St. Mary Major Basilica, on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
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8:30 am: Catholic priests in attendance gather at St Peter’s Square with Archbishops congregating in the Constantine wing.
9:00 am: Cardinals and patriarchs from the Orthodox church will congregate in Saint Sebastian Chapel, inside the basilica.
They will be part of the funeral procession that will take the pope’s coffin and lay it in the square in front of St Peter's Basilica for the funeral.
10:00am: Funeral service led by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. The service will end with a final commendation - a concluding prayer where the Pope will be formally entrusted to God who he served faithfully during his life on earth.
Pope Francis’ humility reflected in his instructions for a simple funeral that is appropriate for "a shepherd and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful man of this world", breaking away from the elaborate rituals that came with the death of his predecessors.
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50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs have confirmed attendance.
Below is the list of heads of states and monarchs that have confirmed attendance
READ: Why Pope Francis won't be buried at the Vatican like his predecessors
ARGENTINA: President Javier Milei
Brazil: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Janja.
Honduras: President Xiomara Castro.
United Nations: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Austria: Chancellor Christian Stocker.
Belgium: King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, with Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
Bulgaria: Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov.
Croatia: President Zoran Milanovic, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.
Czech Republic: Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
Denmark: Queen Mary.
Estonia: President Alar Karis.
European Union: EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa.
Finland: President Alexander Stubb.
France: President Emmanuel Macron.
Germany: President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz will not attend.
Greece: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Hungary: President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Ireland: President Michael Higgins and his wife Sabina, plus Taoiseach (prime minister) Micheal Martin.
Kosovo: President Vjosa Osmani.
Latvia: President Edgars Rinkevics.
Lithuania: President Gitanas Nauseda.
Moldova: President Maia Sandu.
Monaco: Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene.
the Netherlands: Prime Minister Dick Schoof, Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp.
North Macedonia: President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova.
Norway: Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
Poland: President Andrzej Duda and his wife.
Portugal: President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Luis Montenegro.
Romania: Interim President Ilie Bolojan.
Rusia: Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova.
Slovakia: President Peter Pellegrini.
Slovenia: President Natasa Pirc Musar and Prime Minister Robert Golob.
Spain: King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska.
United Kingdom: Prince William, representing head of state King Charles III and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Israel: Yaron Sideman, Ambassador to the Holy See.
Cape Verde: President Jose Maria Neves.
Central African Republic: President Faustin-Archange Touadera.
Democratic Republic of Congo: President Felix Tshisekedi.
Gabon: President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.
Kenya: President William RUTO
India: President Droupadi Murmu.
Philipines: President Ferdinand Marcos and First Lady Liza Marco