On Saturday (April 26), Saint Peter’s Square was packed with people as hundreds of thousands gathered, including leaders from over 50 countries including US President Trump, to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
The funeral took place outside St. Peter’s Basilica at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern Time). The Vatican stated that around 250,000 people gathered for the funeral of Pope Francis, although it was not clear if this figure only included those on St. Peter’s Square. Many mourners lined up along the Via della Conciliazione leading to the Vatican and watched the Mass on big screens in Roman public squares, including outside St. Mary’s Basilica.
Pope Francis was hospitalized on February 14 for bronchitis, diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia on February 18, and after a 38-day stay at the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome, he returned to the Vatican for rest before passing away on April 21 at the age of 88.
The Vatican reported that a total of 130 delegations attended the funeral of Pope Francis, including 55 national leaders and 12 reigning monarchs.
Apart from US President Trump, leaders such as French President Macron, UK Prime Minister Starmer, outgoing German Chancellor Scholz, and Ukrainian President Zelensky rushed to the Vatican to participate in the ceremony.
According to Vatican media reports, over four thousand journalists applied for accreditation from the Vatican to cover the event.
Attending the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican was Trump’s first international trip since his return to the White House in January. Prior to the death of Pope Francis, Trump’s planned first overseas visit was to Saudi Arabia in May. However, hours after the news of the Pope’s passing, Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-mast across America and announced that he and First Lady Melania would travel to the Vatican to attend the Pope’s funeral.
The funeral lasted approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes. Following the funeral service, Pope Francis’ coffin was taken to its burial site at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
Choosing not to be interred in the grand Vatican church, Pope Francis became the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican.