“Final Farewell Set: Vatican Announces Funeral Date for Pope Francis as World Prepares to Mourn”
Vatican City – April 21, 2025
The Vatican has officially announced that the funeral of Pope Francis, who passed away early this morning at the age of 88, will take place on Friday, April 25, in St. Peter’s Square, setting the stage for what is expected to be one of the most attended papal funerals in modern history.
A press release from the Holy See Press Office confirmed the details this afternoon, just hours after the world awoke to the news that the 266th Bishop of Rome had died peacefully in his residence following complications related to pneumonia.
The funeral Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, in accordance with the rites reserved for a sitting Pope. The service is scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM Vatican time, with global live broadcasts already being arranged by major international networks.
A Moment for the World to Gather
Crowds began forming in St. Peter’s Square within an hour of the announcement. Pilgrims from across the globe, many visibly emotional, lit candles, knelt in prayer, and clutched rosaries beneath the looming dome of the Basilica that Pope Francis so often called “home.”
“It feels like losing a grandfather,” said Lucia Navarro, a 24-year-old teacher from Argentina, the Pope’s homeland. “He made the Church feel closer to the people.”
As bells tolled from the Apostolic Palace, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis’s body will lie in state beginning Wednesday morning, April 23, in St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing three full days for the faithful to pay their final respects.
Dignitaries, Faithful, and the Unprecedented
The funeral is expected to draw dozens of world leaders, including monarchs, presidents, and religious figures from across the Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist worlds. Among those expected to attend are U.S. President Kamala Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.
In a rare move, even leaders from traditionally non-Catholic nations such as Saudi Arabia and Israel are expected to send high-ranking representatives, signaling the broad moral and political weight Pope Francis carried on the world stage.
The Vatican has mobilized an extensive security and crowd-control apparatus. Italian authorities estimate that over 2 million pilgrims could arrive in Rome over the next week, rivaling the attendance of Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005.
Francis’s Final Wishes
Although Francis never publicly discussed his funeral preferences in detail, sources close to the Vatican revealed that he had expressed a desire for simplicity and accessibility.
“He wanted his funeral to reflect the spirit of his pontificate: inclusive, merciful, and deeply human,” said Monsignor Carlo Messina, a longtime Vatican aide. “No grandeur. Just prayer and the people.”
That wish will be honored, Vatican officials said, by allowing open access to St. Peter’s Square and arranging free transportation for disabled pilgrims.
The funeral will conclude with a traditional procession through the Basilica and his burial in the Vatican Grottoes, alongside his predecessors.
A Legacy Etched in History
The announcement marks the beginning of the Novemdiales, the nine official days of mourning following a Pope’s death. Special Masses, prayer vigils, and public tributes will take place throughout the world—from Buenos Aires to Manila, from Kinshasa to Kraków.
As the Church prepares to bury one of its most transformative shepherds, one thing is certain: the legacy of Pope Francis will long outlive the solemn date of April 25.
The Vatican flag, now lowered to half-mast, flutters gently over the Tiber River tonight—not just for a Pope, but for a pastor who became a global symbol of compassion.
–
