Vatican Prepares for Massive Crowds for Pope Francis’ Funeral

The Vatican is making final arrangements for Pope Francis’ funeral on Friday, as the last of the large crowds of mourners file through St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects to his open coffin.

Many of the 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs attending the funeral ceremony in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday—including President Donald Trump of the United States and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine—are expected to arrive in Rome on Friday.

In anticipation of the funeral, Italian and Vatican authorities have established strict security around St. Peter’s, deploying snipers on rooftops, and placing drones off-limits, with fighter jets on standby.

Police indicated that additional checkpoints will commence operation on Friday evening.

Countless individuals have already lined up for hours to pay tribute to Francis, whose coffin will be sealed at 8:00 PM during a ceremony attended by senior cardinals.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo overseeing the day-to-day affairs of the Vatican until a new pope is chosen, will conduct the “Rite of the Sealing of the Coffin.”

The first Latin American pope in Catholic history passed away on Monday at the age of 88, less than a month after battling severe pneumonia that required hospitalization.

Veronique Montes-Coulomb, a tourist from Toulouse, France, who attended the public viewing at St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, recalled seeing the pope during the Easter Sunday mass, which was his final public appearance. “He seemed relatively healthy; we were shocked to learn of his passing on Monday morning,” she shared with AFP.

The Argentine pope, who had faced ongoing health issues, went against doctor’s advice to attend the Easter celebration—an event of great significance in the Catholic calendar.

Messages of condolence from across the globe have poured in for Francis, an energetic reformer who dedicated his 12-year leadership to advocating for society’s marginalized and less fortunate.

In his last address, he criticized those who incite “contempt for the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants.”

At least 130 foreign delegations are anticipated to attend his funeral, with a no-fly zone enforced during the ceremony.

A “Brief but Intense” Farewell

Pope Francis’ coffin has been placed before the altar in St. Peter’s for three days of lying in state, with the pope dressed in his papal attire—a red chasuble, a white mitre, and black shoes.

“It was a brief yet powerful moment standing beside him,” expressed Massimo Palo, 63, an Italian visitor to St. Peter’s Basilica, as he reflected on his experience. “He was a pope among his people, and I hope future papacies will embrace his spirit,” he added.

Italy’s civil protection agency predicts “several hundred thousand” people will converge on Rome for this already busy weekend, coinciding with a public holiday on Friday.

After the funeral, the pope’s coffin will make its journey at a slow pace to be interred in his cherished church, the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

In a fitting tribute, a group of “poor and needy” individuals will be present to greet the coffin, according to the Vatican.

He will be laid to rest underground, his simple gravestone marked with one word: Franciscus.

Visitors will be allowed to pay their respects at the tomb starting Sunday morning.

Following the burial, attention will shift to the process of selecting Francis’ successor.

Cardinals from around the globe have been returning to Rome for both the funeral and the conclave to elect a new pope.

Without a sitting pope, the cardinals have been convening daily to discuss the next steps, with another meeting scheduled for Friday at 9:00 AM.

While the date for the conclave has not been established, it must begin no sooner than 15 days and no later than 20 days following a pope’s death.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 — numbering around 135 currently — are permitted to participate in the voting process.

According to British bookmaker William Hill, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who served as number two to Francis, is the frontrunner, followed by Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson, with Matteo Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna, also in contention.