VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis’s wooden coffin was solemnly brought into St. Peter’s Square on Saturday morning, marking the beginning of his funeral Mass, attended by a vast assembly of mourners, including world leaders, religious figures, and pilgrims from across the globe.
The coffin, bearing a prominent cross, was carried out of St. Peter’s Basilica by white-gloved pallbearers dressed in black as sunlight filled the square. Applause broke out among the crowd, while church bells rang as the final dignitaries from over 150 countries took their seats.
Among the high-profile attendees was former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had frequently clashed with Pope Francis over issues such as immigration.
The open-air funeral, expected to last 90 minutes, is being co-celebrated by 220 cardinals, 750 bishops, and more than 4,000 priests.
Thousands of faithful gathered at the Vatican from the early hours, with many camping overnight to secure a place near the front.
“We’ve waited all night to be here,” said Maria Fierro, a pilgrim from Spain. “It’s incredibly emotional to accompany Francis in his final moments.”
Mary James, a Franciscan nun, shared a similar sentiment: “He was a living saint—so humble, so simple. We had to be here to say goodbye.”
The Argentine-born pope passed away on Monday at age 88 following a stroke. His death initiated a carefully choreographed period of mourning and transition for the 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church, steeped in centuries-old ritual and ceremony.
Over the past three days, approximately 250,000 people viewed his body, which was displayed in an open casket before the altar of the grand St. Peter’s Basilica.
Prior to the funeral, Trump and his wife Melania paid their respects inside the basilica. The coffin had been sealed on Friday night.
World leaders in attendance included the presidents of Argentina, France, Germany, the Philippines, Poland, Ukraine, and Gabon, along with prime ministers from the UK and New Zealand, and several European royals. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was met with applause upon his arrival. Former U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden were among the first dignitaries to arrive.
The Vatican expected around 250,000 mourners to fill the square and surrounding streets. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, a 91-year-old Italian cleric, is presiding over the service.
“There’s a lot of emotion, a bit of exhaustion from the wait, but above all, deep gratitude,” said Eduardo Valencia, a pilgrim from Mexico. “We came to say thank you to Pope Francis for all he did for the Church.”
Francis, the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years, led the Church for 12 years with a focus on social justice, simplicity, and compassion. He was known for advocating on behalf of the poor and displaced, urging wealthier nations to do more to aid migrants and combat climate change.
A Latin text summarizing his papacy, placed next to his body, praised him for his “profound humanity, saintly life, and universal sense of fatherhood.”
Despite his impact, Francis’s reforms—especially efforts to modernize and increase transparency—often faced resistance from conservative factions within the Church. His appeals for peace, unity, and economic equity were frequently overlooked by global powers.
A Humble Departure
True to his lifelong commitment to simplicity, Pope Francis rewrote the traditional papal funeral rites, opting for a less elaborate ceremony. He also declined the customary triple-coffin burial (cypress, lead, and oak), instead choosing a single wooden coffin lined with zinc.
In a notable departure from tradition, Francis will be the first pope in over 100 years to be buried outside the Vatican. His final resting place will be the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, roughly 5.5 kilometers from St. Peter’s. His tomb is simply marked with “Franciscus,” the Latin form of his name, and adorned with a reproduction of the iron cross he once wore.
After the funeral, a motorcade will carry his coffin through Rome, allowing citizens to pay their final respects. Italy has deployed one of its largest security operations since Pope John Paul II’s funeral, with airspace restrictions, increased security forces, anti-aircraft defenses, and patrol boats in place.
With Francis’s burial, attention will now shift to the selection of his successor. The secret conclave of cardinals tasked with electing the next pope is not expected to begin before May 6, allowing time for discussions and assessments of the Church’s current challenges, including internal divisions and financial strains.
