Pope Francis has been laid to rest, after a moving funeral attended by world leaders including royalty, presidents and prime ministers.
According to Vatican estimates, 250,000 people flocked to the funeral mass at the Vatican, marked by enchanting choral music and emotive readings.
The 88-year-old pontiff’s coffin was then transported to its burial place in the Basilica of St Mary Major, as 150,000 more onlookers lined the route through Rome for the first funeral procession for a pope in a century and to bid farewell to the first Latin-American pope.
The day also set the stage for critical international diplomacy, with Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky holding talks in the Vatican which the Ukrainian leader said had the “potential to become historic”.
Pictured face-to-face for a spontaneous meeting in St Peter’s Basilica, Mr Zelensky said the pair “discussed a lot one-on-one” in a “very symbolic meeting”.
Leading the funeral service, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re also echoed one of Francis’ strongest criticisms of Mr Trump, making a call to “build bridges, not walls”.
The pontiff died on Easter Monday from a stroke.
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Key Points
- Pope Francis buried
- Zelensky hails 'potentially historic' Trump meeting
- At least 400,000 people at Pope's funeral, says Italian minister
- Priest dubs Trump-Zelensky meeting a 'Pope Francis miracle'
Photos: Pope Francis’s funeral in pictures
04:24
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Stuti Mishra
When will the papal conclave begin?
04:01
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Bryony Gooch
The Vatican has yet to announce when the papal conclave begin, but the earliest date it can start is 5 May, the day after the Novemdiales ends.
Typically, the conclave must begin between 15 to 20 days after a pope dies, meaning it must start after 5 May but can be no later than 11 May.
Record-breaking conclaves - the shortest and longest papal elections
03:02
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Bryony Gooch
It can take a matter of days or weeks for cardinals to select the next leader of the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis’s election was surprisingly short, with the College of Cardinals only taking a day - five ballots - to proclaim him the next pontiff.
But the shortest conclave in history was believed to have taken place in 1503, when Julius II was elected in just under 10 hours to take over Pius III.
Meanwhile, the longest took place between 1268 and 1271, following the death of Pope Clement IV, where cardinals took years to decide that Gregory X would be their next leader. The long decision time was down to infighting between the cardinals.
In pictures: Pope Francis's simple tomb in St Mary Major
02:01
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Bryony Gooch
Pope Francis's funeral in pictures - a recap
01:02
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Bryony Gooch
Here is a visual recap of Pope Francis’s funeral, for those who missed the historic event which saw 400,000 mourners pay their respects in St Peter’s Square:
Who could be the new Pope? The cardinals who might become the next head of the Catholic Church
Sunday 27 April 2025 00:00
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David Maddox, Bryony Gooch
The death of Pope Francis has set in motion a centuries-old ritual involving sacred oaths, performed by the cardinals who will elect his successor.
The process of electing a new Pope is shrouded in secrecy, with cardinals forbidden from communicating with the outside world what happens in the conclave, which takes place within the frescoed walls of the Sistine Chapel.
The pontiff’s age, along with his health concerns in recent years – including his recent complex lung infection – led to questions being asked well before his death about who would succeed him.
As is always the case, in the months and years prior to the death of a pope, a selection of candidates known as papabile emerge as the frontrunners to become the new leader of the Catholic Church.
Keep reading here to find out the candidates to replace Pope Francis.
The Pope’s funeral is a chance for Keir Starmer to seal the deal with European leaders
Saturday 26 April 2025 23:00
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John Rentoul
A pope’s funeral is a chance for world leaders to talk to each other face to face as if at a summit meeting.
Many of these “informal” conversations will be choreographed by officials, logged in leaders’ schedules as “brush bys” and “bilats” (bilateral meetings), and for Keir Starmer they provide an unexpected opportunity to finalise negotiations with European leaders ahead of the EU-UK summit at Lancaster House on 19 May.
What happens after Pope Francis funeral - how the Conclave to select his successor will work
Saturday 26 April 2025 22:30
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Bryony Gooch
Millions around the world will have tuned in to watch as Pope Francis was laid to rest on Saturday, with 400,000 mourners alone paying their final respects outside St Peter’s Basilica.
The late pontiff’s coffin was transported outside Vatican City into Rome, where it was buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, with the inscription of his papal name in Latin: Franciscus.
Francis’s funeral marks the first day of the ‘Novemdiales’, or nine days of mourning, before the Cardinals can begin the papal conclave, a centuries old ritual to select the next pope.
Steffie Banatvala and Bryony Gooch report on the timeline of events from the pope’s death and what will happen going forward.
The heartwarming note buried with Pope Francis
Saturday 26 April 2025 21:51
,
Jane Dalton
A note placed in Pope Francis’s coffin before he was buried paid tribute to his courage, his love of the poor and his “dialogue with Muslims and representatives of other religions”.
It referred to the 266th pope as “the beloved Shepherd of the Church”.
In line with tradition, a bag of coins and medals minted during his papacy, as well as a “Rogito” – or deed – summarising his life were also placed in the coffin.
The deed, a type of obituary written in Latin and sealed inside a metal cylinder, said he “left to all a marvellous witness of humanity, of holy living, and of universal fatherhood” and that the “entire Christian Community, especially the poor, praised God” for his work.
When he was a cardinal in his native Argentina, he was “a simple and much-beloved pastor in his Archdiocese”, it said.
Irish president criticises Netanyahu following pope's funeral
Saturday 26 April 2025 21:44
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Bryony Gooch
Irish president Michael D Higgins has criticised Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was absent from the Pope’s funeral.
Mr Higgins said: "It's very significant not only who is at the event today - but who is missing."
He made reference to “those who have made outrageous statements” by labelling people opposing Mr Netanyahu’s policies as “antisemitic”, adding that opposition to the prime minister’s actions was a position held by many people in Israel.
Mr Higgins accused Mr Netanyahu of “directing an army in breach of international humanitarian law” and civilian rights.
Mr Higgins said: “Today, we've had a wonderful gathering here in Rome of representatives of Government and State.
“How could any of them remain silent then, if you are in fact, actually starving people to death by blocking food, blocking medicines, blocking the basic water itself, the basic necessities of life?”
He added: “Have we become numb? I think when you think of Francis' own concept of ‘indifference’ that's what he meant.”
Pope Francis called the humanitarian situation in Gaza “shameful” earlier this year and was reportedly in regular contact with a small Christian community sheltering in a church in Gaza.
Starmer and Zelensky agree to ‘maintain momentum’ on peace talks for Ukraine
Saturday 26 April 2025 21:28
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Bryony Gooch
Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to “maintain momentum and continue working intensively” on efforts to secure peace in Ukraine when they met in Rome on Saturday.
Downing Street said the two leaders had discussed recent advances towards a peace deal to end the Ukraine war when they met following the Pope’s funeral.
Mr Zelensky had earlier met with Donald Trump within St Peter’s Basilica at the heart of the Vatican before the funeral ceremony began.
Following the Prime Minister’s meeting with Mr Zelensky, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister met President Zelensky in Rome this afternoon.
“They discussed positive progress made in recent days to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
“They agreed to maintain momentum and continue working intensively with international partners to drive forward the next stages of planning.”
Vatican reveals schedule for 'Novemdiales' or nine days of mourning
Saturday 26 April 2025 21:06
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Bryony Gooch
The funeral marked the first day of ‘Novemdiales’, or the nine days of mourning.
Eight masses will take place over the remaining days for different groups within the Catholic Church in order to commemorate Francis before the conclave.
Day 2: Cardinal Pietro Parollin, Secretary of State for the Vatican, will preside over a Mass for the employees and faithful of Vatican City at St Peter’s Square on the morning after the pope’s funeral.
Day 3: Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome, will oversee Mass for the Church of Rome on the Monday evening at St Peter’s Basilica.
Day 4: Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of St Peter in the Vatican, will preside over a Mass for the Chapters of the Papal Basilicas on Tuesday evening.
Day 5: Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Vice-Dean of the College of Cardinals, will oversee Mass for the Papal Chapel on Wednesday evening.
Day 6: Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, will preside the Mass for the Roman Curia on Thursday evening.
Day 7: Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches will oversee mass for the Eastern Churches on Friday evening.
Day 8: Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, Pro-Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life will oversee a Mass for members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Day 9: Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Protodeacon of the College of Cardinals, will preside the Mass with the Papal Chapel group again on Sunday evening.
Why Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was among the 400,000 mourners
Saturday 26 April 2025 20:45
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Bryony Gooch
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange made a rare public appearance as he attended Pope Francis’s funeral.
The activist was photographed with his wife Stella and their two sons in St Peter’s Square as they paid their respects to the late pope.
The pontiff had expressed his solidarity with Mr Assange while he was in HMP Belmarsh, according to Mrs Assange, who has previously spoken about how Pope Francis had written to her husband while he was in prison.
Francis even proposed to grant him asylum at the Vatican.
She recalled that the pope had sent a letter to Mr Assange in March 20221 during a particularly difficult period.
“He has provided great solace and comfort and we are extremely appreciative for his reaching out to our family in this way”, she told AP in 2023. “He understands that Julian is suffering and is concerned.”
As Catholics poured through Rome, there was a clear divide among the faithful
Saturday 26 April 2025 20:15
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Sam Kiley
As tens of thousands of Catholics poured through Rome towards the Vatican, there was a clear divide among the faithful: between those who bade Francis farewell and those who mourned his loss.
Pope Francis modernised Catholic liturgy in the West, but it was his championing of causes often associated with “liberals” – notably the rights of the gay community, the trans community, migrants, and the old-fashioned economics of charity and fairness – that marked his rule.
John Maher, a visitor from Cardiff, said that Francis’s predecessor, Benedict XVI, “was a proper theologian”. Benedict was a conservative who held tradition dear within the church and took less interest in secular and political matters, preferring to shy away from the church’s left and liberation theology.
Mr Maher said Francis, a Jesuit from Argentina who lived through South American dictatorships, had taken a more inclusive approach.
“I don’t think Pope Francis was in the same vein. He made quite a few changes in his pontificate, whether we all believe they’re for the good or not,” Mr Maher said.
In pictures: Mass mourning
Saturday 26 April 2025 19:45
,
Jane Dalton
Irish political leaders heap praise on pope
Saturday 26 April 2025 19:30
,
Jane Dalton
Political leaders across the island of Ireland have reflected on the legacy of Pope Francis after attending his funeral.
Irish president Michael D Higgins led his country’s delegation by attending the mass with his wife Sabina Higgins.
Irish premier Micheal Martin and deputy premier Simon Harris also attended, alongside ambassador to the Vatican Frances Collins.
After the funeral, Mr Higgins said: "Pope Francis was - and will remain - an incredible source of hope.
"He mentioned about a diplomacy of hope. Another thing that he had, which was so moving and interesting, was his proximity to the human body - his embrace of people.
"There was a kind of empathy in his thinking and his practice."
Mr Martin praises the pope’s “remarkable achievements”.
Mr Harris said: "Pope Francis challenged us all to be better - to care more, to judge less, to lead with kindness. His legacy will continue to inspire generations to come."
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill (pictured), who also attended, described Francis as a man of "immense courage".
Politics hangs over farewell to Pope Francis
Saturday 26 April 2025 19:10
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Jane Dalton
How Trump got a front-row seat
Saturday 26 April 2025 18:50
,
Jane Dalton
Recap: Hundreds of thousands gather for historic funeral
Saturday 26 April 2025 18:30
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Alex Croft
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Vatican City and Rome on Saturday morning to say a final farewell to Pope Francis.
If you’re just joining us now, here is a recap of how the morning unfolded:
- At around 8:30am local time, thousands began to fill St Peter’s Square ahead of the funeral.
- World leaders including US President Donald Trump paid their respects to the late Pope inside St Peter’s basilica shortly before 10am.
- Mr Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky were pictured speaking inside the basilica before the ceremony, in what Zelensky described as a ‘potentially historic’ conversation.
- The ceremony began at 10am local time with the Pope’s coffin being carried outside into St Peter’s Square.
- The service was led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals and took around two-and-a-half hours.
- A selection of readings and prayers were delivered, including a homily which paid tribute to Francis as a “pope among people”, who worked tirelessly to help the poor and disadvantaged.
- World leaders joined the masses in shaking hands in a display of unity during the Sign of Peace, before communion was distributed among the crowds.
- The coffin was then carried through the “door of death” to the left of the altar at St Peter’s, while a 10-ton funeral bell tolled.
- Pope Francis’ body was then carried through the streets of Rome, which were lined by crowds cheering and paying their respects.
- The late pontiff’s coffin was received by a selection of the “poor and needy” at the church, before it was taken inside for a private burial.
- A huge mass was also held in Buenos Aires, where the Pope once served as archbishop, with thousands gathering to pay their respects to Francis.
Pope Francis funeral: Watch key moments from historic service
Saturday 26 April 2025 18:09
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Alex Croft
What happened while the pope's coffin was in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica?
Saturday 26 April 2025 17:50
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Alex Croft
Following the procession from Vatican City to Rome’s Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, Vatican News wrote, Francis’ coffin was blessed by a group called ‘the last ones’.
This was a “group of poor and marginalised people who always had a special place in Pope Francis’s heart”, Vatican News writes.
After giving a final tribute to the late pontiff, the casket was carried to the altar.
The burial took place in private, and involved Cardinal Kevin Farrell - the camerlengo running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until the election of a new pope - who marked Francis’s coffin with his seal.
Laying out how the burial who take place before Francis was laid to rest, the Vatican News wrote: “The remains of the Successor of Peter [Pope Francis] will be laid in the tomb and sprinkled with holy water.
“After the Regina Cæli prayer, the notary of the Liberian Chapter will draw up the official act confirming the burial and will read it aloud to those present.
“The act will be signed by the camerlengo cardinal, the regent of the papal household, the master of papal liturgical celebrations, and finally the notary.”
Where is Pope Francis being buried and why?
Saturday 26 April 2025 17:29
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Alex Croft
The burial of the Pope, famed for his humble approach towards the grand office, will break with tradition in a number of ways.
Francis's final resting place will be the basilica of St Mary Major, one of the four major basilicas of Christendom in Rome, situated on the Esquiline Hill.
In Ancient Rome, the Esquiline was used for the burial of slaves, the poor and those condemned to death.
Nowadays, it is home to the Stazione Termini, Rome's main railway station.
St. Mary Major, around 4km from the Vatican, was dear to Francis because of his devotion to Mary, Mother of God. He prayed there before setting off on and returning from each overseas trip.
Argentina-born Francis prayed in the basilica early on March 14, 2013, the day after he became the first Latin American pope.
He returned at key moments in his papacy, praying for an end to the coronavirus pandemic in a locked-down Rome in 2020 and after his abdominal surgeries in 2021 and 2023.
Report: Pope Francis wanted to ‘build bridges, not walls’, cardinal tells funeral in apparent swipe at Trump
Saturday 26 April 2025 17:10
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Alex Croft
The cardinal leading the pope’s funeral mass appeared to criticise US president Donald Trump in his homily.
“‘Build bridges, not walls’ was an exhortation [Francis] repeated many times,” said Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, as a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people watched in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City and millions more worldwide listened.
Mr Trump was seen seated looking solemn in the front row for the service for a pontiff, who pointedly disagreed with him on a variety of issues, mostly the pope’s compassion for migrants, whom the US president has repeatedly tried to deport.
Jane Dalton’s full report can be read here:
Buenos Aires holds huge service for countryman Pope Francis
Saturday 26 April 2025 16:51
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Alex Croft
Argentines bid farewell to their fellow countryman Pope Francis on Saturday, holding a massive open-air mass in front of the cathedral were he served as the archbishop of Buenos Aires.
Giant screens and displays highlighted the figure of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the son of Italian immigrants born in Buenos Aires in 1936 who made history as the first Latin American pope.
The historic Plaza de Mayo was filled with young people and families, communities to whom Pope Francis repeatedly extended encouraging messages.
"For a lot of us young people who were distant from the Church, Francis' legacy brought us closer," Daniela Wenceslao, 26, said.
"Today, Francis is the most important person in our country, and we want to pay this small tribute in his name."
Jorge Garcia Cuerva, the current Archbishop of Buenos Aires, delivered a sermon to thousands of people holding photos of Francis, white flowers and Argentine flags.
"We still can't fully understand or grasp his global leadership; we cry because we already miss him so much," Cuerva said. "We cry for Francis, we do so from the bottom of our hearts, without shame."
Following the sermon, a caravan began around the Plaza de Mayo as a 'symbolic embrace' for Francis' legacy, as well as a pilgrimage to impoverished areas of the city.
Watch moment coffin of Pope Francis sealed after 250,000 pay homage to head of Catholic Church
Saturday 26 April 2025 16:29
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Alex Croft
'I feel like I grew up with him': Young Catholics in Rome react
Saturday 26 April 2025 16:15
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Alex Croft
Thousands of young people from around the world arrived in Rome to rejoice in the canonization of the first millennial saint during the Vatican's Holy Year.
Instead, they ended up bidding farewell to Pope Francis.
"I feel like I grew up with Pope Francis," said Jessica Naranjo, a 27-year-old from Austin, Texas. "I felt very connected with him in the way he advocated for social justice and the environment. This was a big loss for me."
"I’m disappointed that I'm here celebrating the pope's life instead of celebrating with the pope," she said.
Ana Kalen, a 22-year-old medical student, travelled to Rome for the Acutis canonization with a group from Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"The plans have changed, but we are still so glad to be here for this historical moment," Ms Kalen said, a Bosnian flag draped over her shoulders. "We are sad about each death. But we do believe that Pope Francis is in a better place."
Watch: The Independent's Sam Kiley reports live from The Vatican
Saturday 26 April 2025 16:00
Julian Assange attends funeral
Saturday 26 April 2025 15:49
,
Athena Stavrou
Julian Assange was among the 400,000 people who attended Pope Francis’ funeral this morning.
WikiLeaks founder attended the ceremony in St Peter’s square with his wife, Stella, and their children.
Pope Francis met with Stella in 2023, while Assange was detained in the UK fighting extradition to the US.
Stella told Sky News’ Alex Crawford on Saturday: “Francis wrote to Julian in (Belmarsh) prison and even proposed to grant him asylum at the Vatican.”
Trump accused of Pope Francis funeral faux pas after ‘breaking dress code’ then leaving early
Saturday 26 April 2025 15:37
President Donald Trump has been accused of breaking the dress code for Pope Francis’s funeral by wearing blue – rather than black – to the Vatican service.
Trump and his wife Melania, who by contrast wore a black dress and black veil, then left the ceremony as soon as it was over, rather than waiting until after the burial.
The dress code for the funeral at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City required men to wear a dark suit with a black tie and a black button on the left lapel.
Read the full story:
Public able to visit tomb tomorrow
Saturday 26 April 2025 15:25
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Athena Stavrou
Pope Francis has been laid to rest in a humble underground tomb in St Mary Major’s basilica.
His burial was carried out in private on Saturday afternoon, after some 400,000 people attended his funeral mass in Vatican City.
The Vatican announced that people will be able to visit Francis’s tomb from Sunday morning.
Trump hits out at Putin after Zelensky meeting at Pope's funeral
Saturday 26 April 2025 15:09
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Athena Stavrou
Donald Trump has publicly criticised Vladimir Putin’s, hours after he spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky at the Pope’s funeral.
The US president wrote on social media: “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days.
“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions?”
“Too many people are dying!!!”
Zelensky meets Starmer in Rome after funeral
Saturday 26 April 2025 15:02
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Athena Stavrou
During his trip to Pope Francis’ funeral, Volodymyr Zelensky took the opportunity to hold several diplomatic meetings.
The Ukrainian president spoke to with Donald Trump in St Peter’s basilica, then later met with UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer and French president Emmanuel Macron in Rome.
The Vatican releases final images of Pope's casket before burial
Saturday 26 April 2025 14:51
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Alex Croft
What happened while the pope's coffin was in Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica?
Saturday 26 April 2025 14:40
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