Faithful gather to mourn Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica

ROME – The body of the deceased Pope Francis was transferred on Wednesday to St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, where he will lie in state for viewing by the public until his funeral.

The late pontiff was carried in an open casket from the Casa Santa Marta residence, where Francis died on Monday at the age of 88, to the church. Eight Swiss Guards accompanied the procession, which was also attended by several dozen cardinals.

Applause broke out as the casket was carried into the square. The mournful toll of the largest bell in St Peter’s Basilica rang during the ceremony.

The late pope will lie in state in the most important church in Roman Catholicism until Friday evening.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the acting head of the Vatican until a new pope is chosen, will preside over the ceremonial sealing of the coffin on Friday at 8 p.m. local time, the Vatican announced.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to pay their respects this week. The first worshippers began queuing early in the morning to enter the basilica.

On Easter Sunday, Francis was last seen alive by the public as he rode in the popemobile across the square following the Urbi et Orbi blessing. The Argentine-born pontiff, who was the second-oldest pope in history, already appeared very frail. He died the following morning.

Funeral diplomacy on the sidelines?

Many world leaders will attend the funeral on Saturday, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who will be making his first international trip since returning to office.

According to the White House, Trump will only stay in Rome for one day.

Nevertheless after his tariff proposals caused a stir worldwide and with peace efforts for Ukraine also up in the air, observers have speculated on the prospect of “funeral diplomacy” surrounding the event.

Politicians and church representatives from around the world will be present at the funeral Mass on St Peter’s Square, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres and many others. From Germany, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and acting Chancellor Olaf Scholz will attend. Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend.

Rome under tight security measures

Rome is in a state of emergency as police and other security forces face a major logistical challenge due to the expected influx of worshippers and numerous state guests. Security measures will be extensive on the day.

With the Holy Year 2025 approaching, Rome is already more crowded than usual during Easter week. Estimates suggest that around 1 million tourists are currently in the Italian capital. Additionally, pilgrims are expected to arrive to bid farewell to the pope.

Modest resting place

Unlike most popes, Francis’ final resting place will not be in St Peter’s Basilica, but, as he requested, in the significantly smaller Basilica of Saint Mary Major near Rome’s main train station.

The basilica was Francis’ favorite church in Rome. His gravestone will bear only his name in Latin: Franciscus. There will not even be an indication that he was pope.

Work on the grave is still ongoing, and access is currently blocked with a wooden panel.

During his lifetime, Francis decreed that papal burials should be less pompous in the future. Unlike Francis’ German predecessor, Pope Benedict XV, who was buried in January 2023, Francis’ body is not displayed on a catafalque, a raised bier, in St Peter’s Basilica.

He lies in a simple wooden casket, without the papal crosier as a symbol of authority, wearing a red robe and a white bishop’s mitre, with a rosary clasped in his hands.

What’s next?

After the funeral ceremonies, attention will shift to the conclave, which is expected to begin in early May. In principle, 135 cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote for the new pope. However, two 79-year-old cardinals – the emeritus Archbishop of Valencia, Antonio Cañizares and the emeritus Archbishop of Sarajevo, Vinko Puljić – have declined to participate due to health reasons.

As a result, 133 church officials are likely to decide on the successor. The voting process is secret. The conclave could conclude within a few hours or take several days, as there is no time limit. The new pontiff needs a two-thirds majority to be elected.

White smoke rises from a chimney when a pope is elected; until then, the smoke is black.

The current favorite among bookmakers is the Vatican’s second-in-command, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin. However, other names are also being mentioned, and papal elections often bring surprises. Many had not anticipated the election of Francis in 2013, who succeeded Benedict XVI.