After lying in state for three days, Pope Francis will be laid to rest on Saturday following a funeral ceremony at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
A funeral Mass will be held outdoors, with heads of state, including US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, slated to attend.
Tens of thousands of mourners, many of whom travelled from across the world to attend, are expected to gather in the public square before the public Mass begins at 10.00 CEST.
As many as 200,000 people are expected in attendance.
The late pontiff will then be transported to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, or Saint Mary Major, one of the four papal basilicas in Rome.
Pope Francis revised and simplified the Vatican’s rites ahead of the funeral, which will see presidents and royals attend while convicts and migrants usher him to his final resting place.
The pope hoped the ceremony would reflect the priorities of his papacy, where he aimed to emphasise his role as a mere priest rather than a powerful religious leader.
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