Following the Easter Monday death of Pope Francis, the Pope was finally laid to rest on April 26 2025, in Vatican City. The funeral procession through St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City invited over 100,00 people to view it from the streets after over 200,000 people attended the funeral mass. 

The funeral plans were “simpler than those of previous popes, following instructions he set out himself.” (BBC News) Last year, Pope Francis revised several funeral rites hoping to simplify the traditional funeral rituals, “to emphasize his role as a mere bishop and allowing for burial outside the Vatican in keeping with his wishes.” (Associated Press) 

Though revisions were made to the funeral rites, “the core elements remain[ed], including the three key moments that must be observed between the death of a pope and his burial.” (Associated Press) Though the plans were simple, the importance of the Pope’s role in the world and the Catholic Church led the funeral service to remain a true traditional ceremony. 

Francis’s coffin, sealed on Friday April 25, was placed on the altar in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, which faced “a vast crow,” a diverse crowd that “represent[ed] the Church of Francis, the one that welcomes “everyone, everyone, everyone,” as he tirelessly repeated.” (Vatican News) 

Amongst the 250,000 mourners at the funeral service were civilian members of the public and almost 170 heads of state. (CNN) The city square was divided into different sections based on categories of the general public, clergy members, dignitaries, and cardinals and bishops. (CNN) Dignitaries, cardinals and bishops sat closest to the altar where the coffin was located while the general public and clergy members sat further back from the altar. Those who were not in seated sections stood for hours behind the seated sections to watch the service. (CNN)

“The patriarchs and cardinals will be distinguished from the bishops by the purple of their liturgical garments and their white damask miters, while the bishops will wear plain white miters.” (Vatican News)

Several world leaders attended the service for Pope Francis, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prince William, and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer. (Associated Press) Other world leaders and heads of state that were in attendance at the service were “French President Emmanuel Macron, Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.” (BBC News)

The funeral Mass was the first of nine Masses that were held everyday until May 4. At the funeral Mass on Saturday the 26, the “funeral liturgy [was] presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.” (Vatican News)   

The Mass included readings from “the Acts of the Apostles, the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians, and the Gospel according to John.” (Vatican News) The homily was prepared by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and was followed by “prayers of the faithful in French, Arabic, Portuguese, Polish, German, and Chinese.” (Vatican News)

Following the readings and prayers were the Eucharistic liturgy and the Rite of Final Condemnation. 

Following Francis’s funeral Mass was the funeral procession, which nearly 140,000 people viewed from the street. During the procession, the coffin was transported from St. Peter’s Square to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. 

The funeral procession, stretching about 2.5 miles, allowed Romans “to bid farewell to their Bishop along a path he often took to pray before the icon of the Virgin Salus Populi Romani before and after each of his 47 apostolic journeys, and even recently after his hospital stays in February and March.” (Vatican News)

Once reaching the Basilica, Francis’s coffin was welcomed by “ ‘the last ones,’ a group of poor and marginalized people who always had a special place in Pope Francis’ heart.” (Vatican News) This group of people were the ones who gave the “final tribute before the coffin [was] carried to the altar of Saint Mary Major.” (Vatican News). The burial of Pope Francis took place privately.   

The funeral services and burial of Francis marked the end of a life that contributed significantly to social justice, charitable works, and deep care for the poor and marginalized. Laid to rest following the Mass service on April 26, the world remembers the work of the former head of the Catholic Church.