Pontiff’s coffin sealed after 250,000 pay homage to head of Catholic Church
It was a private ceremony presided over by Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell, in front of the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica. This Saturday, starting at 10:00 a.m. (Rome time), more than 130 foreign delegations will attend a mass funeral attended by 60 heads of state and 15 reigning monarchs.
The coffin containing the remains of Pope Francis was closed in a private ceremony that began at 8:00 p.m. (Rome time), presided over by Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell, in front of the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica.
The camerlengo was accompanied by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, dean of the College of Cardinals, and other high-ranking Church figures, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state and widely mentioned as a strong candidate to succeed Pope Francis.
Access to the faithful closed at 5:00 p.m., and an estimated 250,000 people arrived at St. Peter's Basilica to pay their last respects to the pontiff during the three days his remains lay in state in a simple wooden coffin.
More than 130 foreign delegations
The Vatican is preparing to welcome a multitude of faithful and international dignitaries to Pope Francis' funeral, scheduled for this Saturday at 10:00 a.m. (Rome time) in St. Peter's Square. The pontiff, who died this Monday at the age of 88, will be laid to rest in a ceremony that will honor his desire for simplicity and austerity.
A total of 130 delegations, including more than 60 heads of state and 15 reigning monarchs, will attend Pope Francis' funeral, the Vatican's Telegram channel reported.
Among them are Argentine President Javier Milei, who will be accompanied by a delegation composed of his sister and Secretary General of the Presidency, Karina Milei; Chief of Staff Guillermo Francos; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Gerardo Werthein; Minister of Security Patricia Bullrich; Minister of Human Capital Sandra Pettovello; and presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni.
Despite the disagreements the president had had with Pope Francis in previous years, he bid farewell to him with a message on social media. "Despite differences that seem minor today, having been able to know him in his kindness and wisdom was a true honor for me," he wrote.
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania also confirmed their attendance at the funeral on the social media platform Truth Social. Although the Pope had criticized Trump's deportation plans, the president offered his condolences and asked God to bless him. He also ordered that American flags be flown at half-staff until his burial.
It is unknown whether any former US presidents will accompany Trump on his trip to Rome. In 2005, then-President George W. Bush, along with former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush, attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II. However, none of the former presidents appear on the list of attendees published on Friday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday he will travel to the Vatican for the Pope's funeral if he can make it in time after numerous war-related meetings. In any case, Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha will represent Ukraine there. "If I don't have time (to go to the Vatican), Ukraine will be represented at a decent level. The foreign minister and the first lady will be there," Zelensky said at a press conference on Friday.
French President Emmanuel Macron was one of the first leaders to confirm his presence at the ceremony. "Pope Francis wanted the Church to bring joy and hope to the poorest," he wrote in X after learning of his death.
In the case of Brazil, one of the countries with the largest number of Catholics in the world, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will attend, accompanied by his wife Rosângela and an official delegation made up of members of Congress.
A source from Ecuador's Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society reported that President Daniel Noboa will attend the ceremony. Noboa had declared three days of national mourning for the death of Pope Francis.
The King and Queen of Spain, Felipe VI and Letizia, and the King and Queen of Belgium, Felipe and Mathilde, confirmed their attendance at the funeral. The Belgian Prime Minister's spokesperson, Bart de Wever, confirmed that the president will join the King and Queen in mourning for Francis.
Prince William of the United Kingdom will attend as a representative of the British royal family, Kensington Palace announced Tuesday. The Prince of Wales, successor to the British throne, will maintain the tradition started by his father, King Charles III, who attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005 as a representative of Elizabeth II.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also attend the ceremony. Both German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz have been confirmed by the government.
Representatives of international organizations will also be present, including the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
Absence of some leaders
Some leaders have confirmed they will not attend the funeral in person. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum will send Secretary of the Interior Rosa Icela Rodríguez as her representative.
The Foreign Ministry of Colombia, one of the countries with the largest Catholic population in Latin America, announced that President Gustavo Petro will not be present at the funeral. However, his wife, Verónica Alcocer, and Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia will attend as representatives.
For its part, the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement that President Gabriel Boric will not attend the funeral. He will be represented by a delegation composed of the presidents of the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the foreign minister.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin would also not attend. Following Francis's death, Putin remembered him as a "defender of the great values of humanism and justice."
Peruvian President Dina Boluarte had requested permission from Congress to attend, but her request was denied. Lawmakers argued that the president should primarily address the country's crime crisis before embarking on a trip.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced in a televised address that he will not attend the funeral, but has designated a delegation to attend. "We are going to send an official delegation from the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Pope Francis's funeral. It will be led by the Republic's Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, a great Christian man, and by the Admiral-in-Chief, Mayor of Caracas, Carmen Teresa Melendez Ribas," he explained.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will not accompany the King and Queen to the funeral, but several ministers and the leader of the opposition will attend.
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his Argentine wife, Queen Máxima, will not be present at the event as they will attend planned celebrations for Willem's birthday. Prime Minister Dick Schoof will be present on behalf of the country. However, it is unusual for Dutch monarchs to attend papal funerals. The King and Queen also did not attend Pope Benedict XVI's funeral.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not confirmed his attendance at the ceremony. According to an EFE report, sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that he will be represented by its ambassador to the Holy See, Yaron Sideman. Since Saturday is Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, it is more difficult to transport the authorities.
Pope Francis's body will later be transferred and buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, located in Rome, outside the Vatican. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend. Some 50,000 people attended Pope Benedict XVI's funeral in 2023, while some 300,000 attended Pope John Paul II's funeral in 2005.