Tearful nuns mourning Pope Francis remember 'saintly man who wanted peace for the whole world' as world stops to pay tribute to 266th pontiff
- Find out how the service will unfold - and how it differs from previous send-offs
- Follow every moment of Pope Francis' funeral on the MailOnline liveblog HERE
World leaders, dignitaries and tens of thousands of mourners have gathered in St Peter's Square to bid farewell to Pope Francis, one of the most radical Catholic leaders of modern times.
US President Donald Trump, his predecessor Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Prince of Wales are among attendees at the requiem mass in St Peter's Square, which began at 10am local time (9am UK).
Others include French President Emmanuel Macron, former US president Joe Biden and Irish President Michael D Higgins.
Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky arrived on Saturday morning and is attending with his wife Olena Zelenska, following uncertainty over where he could attend after his travel plans were disrupted by air strikes in Kyiv.
Up to 500,000 people are expected to gather across Rome for the open-air service, some of them camping out in the streets on Friday night after travelling from across the world.
Francis, heralded as the 'people's pope' due to his focus on society's neediest, died aged 88 on Monday just hours after greeting crowds to mark Easter.
He had been lying in state in St Peter's Basilica for three days, with some 250,000 mourners passing him day and night, before his coffin was formally sealed in private on Friday, with his face covered by a simple white shroud.
From first light, thousands of people made their way along Via della Conciliazione - the grand thoroughfare that leads to the Vatican - singing hymns, praying and swapping stories.
Tens of thousands of people are gathering in St Peter's Square in the Vatican City to bid farewell to Pope Francis after his death at 88
Members of the clergy take their seats ahead of the funeral. Up to 500,000 people are thought to have turned out for the service
Nuns are seen praying in St Peter's Square ahead of the Pope's funeral on Saturday
Nuns who gathered in St Peter's Square ahead of the service told the Associated Press news agency that the late pontiff had been a 'saintly man... a man of peace, who wanted peace for the whole world'.
Sister Nilma Navarro from the Philippines said that Francis was 'the most humble person I have ever met,' adding that he shepherded people 'not only in the Catholic Church. He also embraced other religions.'
Miguel Vaca, a pilgrim from Peru, lined up from 7am to enter the square. 'He was a very charismatic pope, very human, very kind,' he said.
A parish group from Calabria, in Italy's south, camped out all night to get a prime spot.
They had been planning a trip to Rome for the planned canonisation of the first millennial saint Carlo Acutis, which has been postponed following Francis' death.
Instead, they drove up a day early and slept in the streets.
'The Lord wanted it this way, so we came all the same,' said Sandra De Felice of Anoia in the Calabria region.
'For me, this is a sign that we need to be truly humble and charitable. Otherwise, we are nothing.'
Ordinary mourners rushed in when the barricades opened on Saturday to get a spot in standing room near the rear of the square surrounding the ancient obelisk, behind the VIP seating. Some ran to secure their place.
The area to the left of the main altar, up the basilica steps, is reserved for celebrants and Catholic hierarchy, while world leaders and royalty will be seated on the right.
Just before 10am authorities announced the St Peter's square was now closed as it had reached its 150,000 capacity.
The Pope's coffin was guarded through the night by the Vatican's instantly recognisable Swiss Guards, after being sealed by Cardinal camerlengo Kevin Farrell and scandal-hit former Archbishop of LA Roger Mahony – who was found to have covered up child abuse in the 1980s.
Tens of thousands of people are packing out St Peter's Square - with thousands more lining the streets of Rome
Prince William is seen arriving at St Peter's Square for the pope's funeral following the Catholic leader's death at the age of 88
Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria are seen arriving for the Pope's funeral as part of the British Government delegation - alongside Foreign Secretary David Lammy
Donald Trump and his wife Melania are seen at the service. The dress code requires women to dress in black and wear a veil
The pope's coffin - a simple wooden casket, as per his request - is led out to St Peter's Square
French president Emmanuel Macron is seen at St Peter's Basilica in Rome on Saturday ahead of the Pope's funeral
Donald Trump is seen paying his respect to the pontiff, whose simple wooden coffin has been protected overnight by the Vatican's Swiss Guards
A cardinal takes a picture of the scene in St Peter's Square ahead of Pope Francis' funeral
Former US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill are seen within Vatican City ahead of Pope Francis' funeral
Faithful gather at the Vatican obelisk in St Peter's Square on Saturday ahead of Francis' funeral
Mourners in St Peter's Square hold aloft a banner which reads: 'Goodbye father, teacher and poet'
People on Via della Conciliazione - the long thoroughfare in Rome that leads to the Vatican - ahead of the service
A nun takes a photograph on her mobile phone as she arrives for Pope Francis' funeral
Crowds gathered early on Saturday for Pope Francis' funeral, which starts from 9am UK time
Pope Francis died on Monday aged 88, hours after greeting the faithful to mark Easter Sunday (pictured)
Emmanuel Macron is seen paying his respects to the Pope within St Peter's Basilica ahead of the service
The two-hour service will be primarily in Latin and Italian but there will be readings and prayers in several other languages including English and the Vatican has published an 87 page order of service to follow proceedings.
It showed that Francis's birth country of Argentina, then Italy, take precedence. Argentine president Javier Milei is attending the service.
Thereafter, leaders are seated 'in alphabetical order' in French - considered the language of diplomacy.
Ireland's delegation comes ahead of both Prince William and the British Government delegation in the official order of precedence, because it is led by head of state Mr Higgins.
Haakon, the Crown Prince of Norway, and William follow soon after in a category set aside for crown princes.
The British Government delegation includes Sir Keir Starmer and his wife, Victoria, as well as Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Prince William is thought to be flying immediately back to Britain following the service to watch Aston Villa in the FA Cup semi-final.
President Trump and his wife First Lady Melania are seated ahead of both the Irish and British delegations.
The Ukrainian government said Trump met with President Zelensky ahead of the funeral -
Joe Biden, who is attending with his wife Jill, is not sat with Trump as he does not form part of the official US mission. The Bidens are around five rows behind the US President and the First lady.
Before the start of the service VIPs were allowed to file past Pope Francis coffin to pay their final respects. Among those seen doing so were Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron.
While the service is being attended by the world's top leaders, the Pope will be ushered into his final resting place by prisoners and migrants - a nod to his focus on the needy and the poor during his time as leader of the Catholic church.
Vatican officials said Pope Francis had asked for a 'simple funeral' rather than that of a 'world leader' in keeping with his humble personality.
Nuns and other pilgrims are seen making their way to St Peter's Square earlier on Saturday
A group of nuns is seen standing in the streets of Rome before sunrise on Saturday morning
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrives at the Pope's funeral on Saturday morning
Javier Milei, president of Argentina, arrives at the service. The country takes precedence in the seating order as it is where Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio
A sea of clergy take their seats for Pope Francis' funeral on a bright Saturday morning
Crowds packed out the Via della Conciliazione ahead of the service starting. Six giant TV screens have been set up for those unable to squeeze into the Vatican
Norway's Crown Prince Haakon, center, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, center left, arrive for the funeral
Sweden's King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia are seen heading to their seats for the funeral
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives at the funeral of Pope Francis - among scores of world dignitaries invited to the pontiff's final farewell
Nuns and other mourners gather in the Vatican City for the service. Up to 500,000 people are expected to attend
People gathered before first light to ensure they found a prime spot for the service - some wearing foil blankets after camping out
Members of the faithful are seen gathering in the streets of Rome. The funeral cortege will proceed through the centre of the city to the Pope's last resting place
Women pose for a photograph beside the Vatican obelisk ahead of the funeral
Tens of thousands of people are in St Peter's Square - with thousands more lining the streets of the Italian capital
Scaffolding has been erected to provide international media with the best vantage points overlooking St Peter's Square while there is a strong Italian police presence managing numbers and security.
Pope Francis was an advocate for the poor and chose his Papal name to honour St Francis of Assisi, who was dedicated to poverty, peace and nature with the Vatican saying he ‘believed the poor had a privileged place in the heart of God’.
The complex security operation, estimated to cost five million Euros (£4.3m), comprises 8,000 security staff members, including 2,000 uniformed police officers and 1,400 plainclothes officers.
The Vatican has a small ceremonial army of Swiss Guards and there is also the Vatican Security Service, the Pope's bodyguards.
But the main security has been provided by the Italian government, with thousands of police and soldiers in and around the Vatican and on the streets of Rome.
More than 50 metal detectors and X-ray machines have been set up along both colonnades either side of St Peter's Square to scan people as they make their way in.
Six giant TV screens have been set up along the Via della Conciliazione, the main road that links to St Peter's and there are others at Santa Maria Maggiore basilica where the Pope will be buried.
Anti-drone technology is being deployed to jam any UAVs that attempt to film proceedings from above.
The operation also includes special forces sharp-shooters on rooftops, undercover units, security teams on horseback, helicopter patrols and boats on the nearby River Tiber.
A nun is seen praying ahead of the funeral service. Faithful have travelled from across the world to be in Rome
Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, makes his way towards his seat for the service
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission (pictured), is attending the service among other world dignitaries
Mourners have travelled from across the world - with some resorting to camping out in the streets to bid their final farewell to the pontiff
Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri (top right) and his wife Maria Teresa Mestre Batista arrive to attend the funeral ceremony
Slovakia's President Peter Pellegrini, center, and Slovakia's Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar, left, stand in front of their seats ahead of the funeral
A nun holds a rosary as she sits waiting for the service to begin, flanked by other faithful
A woman is seen praying in St Peter's Square ahead of Pope Francis' funeral mass on Saturday
Cardinals walk through the Vatican ahead of Francis' funeral
Clerg arriving at St Peter's Square on Saturday morning. The service was due to start at 10am local time
A complex security operation has been rolled out at an estimated cost of five million Euros, including anti-drone technology (pictured: a soldier with a 'drone gun' alongside a spotter with binoculars)
Following the funeral, Francis will be taken through the streets of Rome in a break with tradition as he is carried to his final, unconventional resting place.
Rather than in the Vatican, where popes are typically buried, Francis will be laid to rest in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in the centre of Rome, where he regularly prayed before and after trips overseas.
He will be conveyed on a modified popemobile converted to carry his casket.
The vehicle had previously been used on his 2015 trip to the Philippines, and has been altered to ensure Francis can be seen by mourners on the route to Santa Maria Maggiore.
His simple coffin will be entombed in an alcove that had previously been used to store candlestick holders.
Per his request, it will not be decorated and will be inscribed only with his papal name in Latin, Franciscus.
It is another departure from tradition for the liberal Pope, who held progressive views on the rights of immigrants and LGBT rights, as well as climate change and the ethics of modern technology such as social media and artificial intelligence.
The last pope who asked to be buried outside of the Vatican was Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903.
And while today marks the first of nine days of mourning, speculation regarding the next pope is likely to begin shortly after the funeral.
Conclave, the secret meeting of cardinals to elect Francis's successor, is thought likely to begin on May 5.
One Vatican expert has said she thinks it is 'totally unpredictable' at this point as to who the next pope might be.
A group of nuns in conversation ahead of Francis' funeral. Pilgrims have made their way to the Vatican from across the world
Clergy are seen taking their seats for the service, watched over by a statue of St Peter
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrived at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport last night after travelling on board Air Force One
UK theologian Professor Anna Rowlands said: 'That's partly because the process is genuinely both secret, so it happens in private, but also because the make-up of this College of Cardinals is very different from anyone that's been here to elect a pope before.
'It's going to be, I think, a surprise conclave, that is totally unpredictable at this point, but I think will produce, potentially, a really interesting candidate who possibly none of us will know.'
Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell - the camerlengo or senior Vatican official - has been responsible for carrying out the administrative and financial duties of the Holy See until a new pope takes over.
He had the role of announcing the Pope's death on Easter Monday, coordinating meetings with the cardinals ahead of conclave and ensuring the Sistine Chapel is ready to accommodate them when that process begins in the coming weeks.
Among those mourning the pope in growing numbers are Gen Zs, according to a recent survey in the UK.
The Quiet Revival, commissioned by the Bible Society and conducted by YouGov, showed 18 to 24-year-olds are the second largest demographic of churchgoers in the UK, having risen from 4% to 16% between 2018 and 2024.
The data suggests Gen Z are particularly drawn to Roman Catholicism, which accounts for a significant rise in the number of Catholics in England.
