Pope Francis funeral newest: World leaders arriving to pay respects at historic Vatican ceremony
Thousands of people are arriving at St Peter’s Square this morning for the Pope Francis, hoping to share in commemorations of the life of the head of the Catholic Church.
Crowds began gathering hours before dawn, as mourners searched for a spot where they might catch a glimpse of the late pontiff as his body passes by on the way to the Basilica of St Mary Major – his final burial place. Some people were seen sleeping on the pavement.
More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the funeral, along with major world leaders in attendance, including Donald Trump, Emmanuel Macron and others.
Some 220 cardinals, 750 bishops and priests are expected to be near the altar, and more than 4,000 other priests will be in the square to witness the ceremony beginning at 10am local time (9am BST).
The funeral is taking place five days after the 88-year-old Pontiff’s death on Monday from a stroke, and following several days of global mourning for the Argentinian remembered for his humble leadership style and championing of the downtrodden.
On Friday night the Pope’s coffin was sealed in a private Vatican ceremony after three days of public viewings attended by 250,000 people.
Giorgia Meloni arrives
Giorgia Meloni has arrived at St Peter’s Square.
The right-wing Italian prime minister clashed with Pope Francis on political ideals, but mourned him after his death as a friend who had given her comfort in tough times and done his duty to the end.
Who has arrived, who is to come
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to be filing into St Peter’s Square to attend Pope Francis’ funeral this morning.
Among the crowd will be royalty and world leaders, some of whom have already began filing into the square.
Former US president Joe Biden was among the first to arrive on Saturday morning, followed shortly by Hungary and Greece’s prime ministers.
Royalty including Norway’s crown prince and Sweden’s King have also already arrived.
Other royalty including William, the Prince of Wales are expected to arrive soon, alongside the US president Donald Trump and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Vatican City awaits beginning of funeral mass
World Affairs Editor Sam Kiley reports from St Peter’s Square:
St Peter’s Square is not at capacity as worshippers gathered for Pope Francis’s funeral in an atmosphere of subdued celebration.
The religious part of the events got underway at 9:20am exactly with prayers, as the spring sun blazed against the basilica no doubt dazzling the cardinals seated on its steps – as they contemplated the legacy of the late pope and who to choose as the next Holy Father.
Biden arrives at funeral
Former US president Joe Biden has arrived in St Peter’s Square.
The mass is due to begin in around 20 minutes, with other world leaders including current US president Donald Trump expected to join.
How will the world leaders be seated?
With 170 world leaders attending Pope Francis’s funeral, the seating plan has been described by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, leader of Catholics in England and Wales, as a “master plan” in stage-managing “big egos”.
The official delegations will sit at a section to the right of the altar at the top of the steps leading toward St. Peter’s Basilica.
Francis’s birth country of Argentina will take precedence in the seating arrangements, followed by Italy, as the pope is the bishop of Rome and the leader of the nation’s Catholic bishops.
Thereafter, reigning sovereigns such as Prince William will be seated “in alphabetical order, but in French language”, as this is considered the language of diplomacy.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said on Friday that no distinction would be made between Catholic and non-Catholic royalty for the seating order.
This will be followed by heads of state, and later heads of government like the UK prime minister and Donald Trump – who may be disappointed to find himself not in the front row.
What to expect today:
At 10am local time (9am UK time), the funeral for Pope Francis will begin.
Here is how we are expecting it to unfold:
– Before 10am, hundreds of thousands of people – including over 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns – will file into the square.
– The funeral will start at 10am, when the Pope’s coffin will be laid in the square in front of the basilica.
– The service will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals and will be mostly held in Latin.
– The two-and-a-half hour ceremony will begin with the entrance antiphon, a selection of psalm verses or scripture passages that are traditionally sung or recited.
– This will be followed by the Penitential Act which allows the faithful to confess their sins to God and an opening prayer.
– The first reading will be given in English by Kielce Gussie, a journalist from Vatican News. The second reading will be delivered in Spanish by Edgar Pineda. This will be followed by the Universal prayers.
– Before the end of the mass, Cardinal Re will sprinkle the coffin with holy water and incense.
– At the end of the mass, the choir will sing in Latin: “May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come and welcome you and take you into the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.”
– When the service is over, the coffin will be carried through the “door of death” to the left of the altar at St Peters, while a 10-ton funeral bell tolls.
– Pope Francis’ body will then be carried to his final resting place in St Mary Major Basilica in Rome. This is expected to take around 30 minutes, depending on crowds.
Watch live: Pope Francis’ funeral takes place at the Vatican in Rome
Watch our livestream here:
Inside the papal conclave
Following the “novemdiales”, a papal conclave will begin to elect a new pope. Cardinals will be able to start this process from 5 May.
While 135 cardinals of voting age are able to take part in the conclave, two are unable to make it to Rome for health reasons.
The remaining 133 cardinals will gather inside the Sistine Chapel – home of all the Papal Conclaves since 1858, where they will whittle down candidates through successive rounds of voting.
This process can take between days and weeks.
The conclave is secretive. The cardinals are forbidden from communicating with the outside world, and the gathering begins and ends with ritual words in Latin: “Extra omnes” or “Everyone out”, expelling all but voting cardinals.
A two-thirds majority is required to become pope, and after the ballot, the victorious cardinal utters, “Accepto” or “I accept”.
Albert Toth and Rachel Clun report here…
Rome locks down airspace as tight security operation unfolds ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral
Italian authorities have activated one of the largest security operations in Rome’s recent history ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday.
Alongside 4,000 police officers, counter-drone units and fighter jets enforcing a strict no-fly zone over the capital, the Vatican’s own Swiss Guard, normally a ceremonial force, has also been brought in to help secure Vatican City and St Peter’s Square, where tens of thousands are expected to gather. The guards, famous for their medieval-style uniforms, have undergone security training as part of the preparations.
The prefect of Rome, Lamberto Giannini, said the “security machine is ready” but would remain flexible to ensure a “sense of serenity” during the event.
In addition to the security measures, a special taskforce of 400 sanitation workers and 150 vehicles has been deployed to maintain public cleanliness in the square, while pharmacy opening hours across Rome have been extended to boost available medical services.
Zelensky arrives in Rome for Pope’s funeral
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska, have just arrived in Rome to attend Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican, Ukrainian media reported citing a government spokesperson.
There was some uncertainty around Mr Zelensky’s presence at the funeral after Kyiv was hit by massive Russian air strikes earlier this week.
Source: independent.co.uk
