Vatican Announces Pope Francis’ Funeral to Be Held Saturday

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The Vatican is preparing to say goodbye to Pope Francis, with his funeral now officially set for Saturday at 10am (6pm AEST) in St Peter’s Square. Cardinals met today in the Synod Hall to make the first big decisions since his passing, including plans for the funeral and allowing the public to pay their respects from Wednesday, when his casket will be brought into St Peter’s Basilica.

It’s a moment the world is watching closely. Condolences have been pouring in from across the globe for the late pope — the first from Latin America — who many saw as a voice for compassion, reform, and the poor.

World leaders are expected to attend, including Donald and Melania Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Argentine President Javier Milei. From Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he’s spoken with Governor-General Sam Mostyn, who will likely represent the country as she travels back from Anzac Day commemorations in Gallipoli.

Rome is already tightening security ahead of the funeral. The city is packed with Easter tourists, and Sunday’s previously planned youth jubilee mass will only add to the crowds. Italian police are already out in force — on horseback, on foot, and even in boats along the Tiber River.

Starting Wednesday, tens of thousands of mourners are expected to line up to say goodbye as Francis lies in state in St Peter’s. Vatican officials were among the first to pay their respects Monday night, including Sister Nathalie Becquart, one of the Vatican’s highest-ranking women. She reflected on his final moments with awe:

“He truly gave everything he had, up to the end.”

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi also praised Francis for his efforts to elevate the role of women in the Church, calling it one of his most lasting legacies.

Francis died on Monday at age 88, after suffering a stroke that led to heart failure. He had been recovering at his Vatican residence following a long hospital stay for pneumonia. His last public appearance was Easter Sunday, as he rode through St Peter’s Square in the popemobile — offering a final smile, wave, and blessing to the faithful. Fittingly, it was from the same loggia where he first greeted the world as pope in 2013.

“He gave himself to the end,” said Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, a close ally and potential papal successor.“To go out to meet everyone, speak to everyone, teach us to speak to everyone, to bless everyone.”

On Tuesday, the first images of Francis' body were released — lying in a wooden casket, dressed in red vestments with his bishop’s miter, as the Vatican’s secretary of state prayed over him.

In his final will, Francis asked to be buried at St Mary Major Basilica, outside the Vatican — a place deeply personal to him. It’s home to his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, a Byzantine-style painting of Mary holding Jesus, who clutches a golden book. Francis often stopped there before and after every international trip to pray and offer flowers.

He visited the basilica for the last time on April 12, just days before he passed.

More updates to come on AusNewsLanka.