Pope Francis laid to rest at a papal basilica in Rome

We have come to the end of our live coverage of this historic day, brought to you by the Euronews team deployed across all of Europe.

Everything unfolded as expected: a deeply moving atmosphere filled with respect and affection for Pope Francis. Today was a day of mourning, of heartfelt goodbyes, but also one of encounters and gestures of reconciliation among global leaders.

There were many signs of détente throughout the day — above all, the historic 15-minute conversation between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Other notable moments included Trump’s cordial handshake with Ursula von der Leyen and his "exchange of peace" (within the Catholic liturgical tradition) with Emmanuel Macron.

While Trump captured much of the spotlight, the true soul of the day lay in the tradition, the centuries-old rituals, and the solemn grandeur of the ceremonies.

It was a powerful demonstration of affection from the faithful and beyond for a Pope who dedicated his life to building bridges, not walls — as Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re poignantly recalled during the funeral Mass.

What comes next? The Church now continues the nine official days of mourning after the Pontiff’s death, and attention will soon turn to the upcoming conclave to elect the next Pope, with the first gathering expected no later than 10 May.

Thank you for following along with us today. Stay with Euronews for continuing updates and in-depth analysis.

Throughout Saturday, the funeral of Pope Francis gave rise to meetings between leaders and moments of great emotion for believers in the Vatican, Rome and around the world.

Euronews brings you the most significant political moments.

Five historic moments from Pope Francis’ funeral

From the suggestive Trump-Zelenskyy summit to the second-ever encounter between the US president and Ursula von der Leyen: The funeral ceremony for Pope……

As expected, given the extraordinary number of global leaders present, the funeral of Pope Francis evolved into an informal "mini world summit," with numerous diplomatic encounters on the sidelines.

Here’s a quick recap of the main meetings reported so far:

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump held a historic private meeting, which Zelenskyy himself described as highly significant.

• Zelenskyy and Trump also had a brief joint interaction with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. The Ukrainian president also held bilateral meetings with each separately.

• Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is scheduled to meet Zelenskyy later this afternoon.

• PM Meloni also had a lunch meeting with Argentina’s President Javier Milei and a brief encounter with Trump.

• According to the German news agency dpa, Trump met outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as well.

• As reported earlier in this blog, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on Saturday afternoon

Pope Francis was buried on Saturday in Rome after a funeral Mass was held in St Peter's Square.

His coffin was transported across the Italian capital to Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in front of almost 400,000 people, according to the Italian authorities.

The next step in the transition process towards the election of a new pope will be the meeting of the conclave of cardinals.

In the meantime, relive the day in pictures.

In photos: Pope Francis buried, mourned by hundreds of thousands

Hundreds of thousands gathered in the Vatican on Saturday to watch the final journey of Pope Francis, attended by leaders and royals from around the world.…

The final chapter of today's historic day has come to a close. The burial procedure for Pope Francis at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome has been completed.

The private rite, which lasted about 30 minutes, was presided over by the Camerlengo Cardinal and attended by cardinals, bishops, canons, penitentiaries and some members of the late Pope’s family, the Vatican press office announced.

One of the final symbolic moments was the sealing of Pope Francis' coffin. The seals were placed by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the coadjutor archpriest of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Upon arrival at the basilica, the coffin was paused for a few moments before the icon of the Virgin Mary called Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of Rome’s people), an image deeply loved by Pope Francis and which he had prayed on countless occasions throughout his pontificate.

Pope Francis remained a tireless advocate for peace in Gaza and the West Bank, praying for an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict until his final hours.

Since the outbreak of the war, the pope had established a nightly ritual, Euronews' Emma De Ruiter reports: calling the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic parish in Gaza, to check on the nearly 600 people sheltering there.

Father Gabriele Romanelli, the parish priest, shared that the pope’s final call came last Saturday, just two days before his death. “He asked us to pray, gave us his blessing, and thanked us for all our service for peace,” Romanelli said.

Today, Pope Francis' funeral was broadcast in the Holy Family Church, which is also prepared to celebrate a special Mass in his memory in the afternoon, followed by the Rosary and funeral prayers.

Starting tonight, Romanelli announced, the church bells will ring every evening at 8 pm local time (7 CEST) to remember the “Pope’s hour”, his nightly calls to the parish.

At least 400,000 people attended Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday, according to Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.

“We estimate not fewer than 400,000 people between those present in St Peter’s Square and those along the route,” Piantedosi told the Italian programme TG5 news.

This is up from the 250,000 estimated earlier by the Holy See.

During their handshake in St Peter’s Square, on Saturday at Pope Francis’ funeral, US President Donald Trump and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of meeting each other, according to a Commission spokesperson.

"In their brief exchange, President von der Leyen and President Trump agreed to meet,” Commission’s chief spokesperson Paula Pino told journalists on Saturday.

Since Trump's return to power, the two leaders have not yet met.

The transatlantic relationship is strained, shaken by a tariff war and negotiations on Ukraine, from which the Europeans are excluded.

No one knows what form such a meeting might take.

The prospect of an EU-US summit was raised shortly after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to Washington last week, but was not confirmed.

The team of the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, who is responsible for organising this type of event, said at the time it viewed it "positively".

Heralded as the "People's Pope", Pope Francis became popular beyond the vast Catholic community he led for championing the disadvantaged and dispossessed throughout his 12-year papacy.

The late pontiff was known for advocating for society's most vulnerable and taking bold stances on issues such as climate change, corporate greed and the Israel-Hamas war.

Euronews' Tamsin Paternoster brings you some of the symbolic moments from the pontificate that reflect his humility, informality, and mission to reform the papacy.

‘The People’s Pope’: Five humble moments of Pope Francis’ papacy

The late pontiff sought to bring the Catholic Church closer to the people and break with tradition through symbolic gestures and bold stances on contentious……

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has delivered his first comments on the moment he met with his US counterpart Donald Trump, pictured below.

The "very symbolic meeting" has the "potential to become historic," Zelenskyy said.

The pair discussed a "full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet on Saturday afternoon, Commission’s chief spokesperson Paula Pinho has announced.

The meeting will take place at a time when negotiations on ending Russia's war in Ukraine between Washington and Moscow have not produced any clear results.

Further eyebrows were raised when US President Donald Trump told Time magazine on Friday that “Crimea will stay with Russia”, speaking about the Ukrainian peninsula Moscow unilaterally annexed in 2014,

Earlier on Saturday, a "fifteen-minute" exchange took place between Trump and Zelenskyy in St Peter's Basilica, which was described as "constructive" on Telegram by the Ukrainian president's top advisor, Andriy Yermak.

Later Zelenskyy met with French president Emmanuel Macron. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha tweeted a picture of the “tête-à-tête”.

Pope Francis’ coffin arrived at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome, one of the four pontifical basilicas in the Italian capital, in the Esquilino neighbourhood.

The coffin was received by a group of destitute people. The burial ceremony, presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is in charge of day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, is taking place in private.

The coffin of Pope Francis arrives at St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

More than 250,000 people attended Pope Francis' funeral, both inside St Peter's Square and the side streets leading to the Vatican, according to the latest update from the Holy See.

The quarter-million figure is considerably higher than the 200,000 estimate by the Italian police.

Pope Francis’ coffin is carried in a procession to the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome for burial. The coffin travels along a route which goes through central Rome until Santa Maria Maggiore. Thousands of people have already lined the streets to watch the process.

If you're in Rome or watching from the outside, the route is the following : Saint Peter’s Basilica, Saint Peter’s Square, crossing of Tiber River, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza Venezia, Via dei Fori imperiali, Coliseo (where the Way of the Cross takes place every year before Easter), Via Labicana et Via Merulana, until Santa Maria Maggiore.

The coffin of Pope Francis is lifted at the end of his funeral in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

The funeral of Pope Francis has officially concluded following the final prayers, including the traditional Ultima Commendatio, where the Church prays for the Pope’s soul to be welcomed among the saints.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re performed the final rites, blessing the coffin with holy water and incense.

At around 12:10 pm, the coffin was carried from the parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica. A wave of applause rose once again from the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square as the procession began.

The coffin will now be en route to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where Pope Francis will be laid to rest. Across Rome, thousands of people are waiting along the six-kilometre route to pay their final respects as the cortege passes by.

Pope Francis' funeral Mass is taking place in Rome in front of some 200,000 spectators and leaders from all over the world, including US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met shortly before the ceremony.

Some pictures from the historical event:

Dean of the College of Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re blesses the coffin of Pope Francis (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia).

Priests offer holy communion during the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru).

Nuns attend the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru).

Clergy stand during the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber).

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the funeral of Pope Francis (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia).

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican for approximately 15 minutes, as confirmed to Reuters by a spokesperson for Zelenskyy.

The leaders reportedly agreed to meet again later today for further discussions. Photos released by Zelenskyy’s office show the two sitting face-to-face in the centre of a marble hall, notably without any aides or advisors nearby, suggesting a private and direct conversation between them.

The impromptu eye-to-eye meeting in the basilica and the body language of the two leaders strongly contrast with the public snipes of the last few days.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is at the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square wearing dark clothing—a noticeable change from his usual green military garments.

While still keeping a military-inspired look, Zelenskyy opted for an elegant black jacket with front pockets and a more informal cut, however, paired with a dark shirt, instead of his typical t-shirt, and dark boots.

Zelenskyy’s choice of attire had previously stirred controversy during his last visit to Washington, where a reporter’s question about his informal dress briefly shifted the tone of the event.

Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, Zelenskyy has consistently avoided suits, ties, and traditional formal wear, even for major addresses and high-level meetings. The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly said his attire is a symbolic form of solidarity with his country's front-line soldiers.

Although seating arrangements were changed today to give more prominence (and front-row seats) to delegations like those from France and the United States, the original security protocol for exiting St. Peter’s Square is in place.

Rome’s police authorities confirmed that delegations deemed most sensitive for security reasons will be the first to leave after the funeral ceremonies. These include representatives from the United States, Ukraine, Palestine, France, Spain, the British royal family, Brazil, and Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella.

All other attendees will wait until after the funeral procession has returned inside the Vatican before they can exit the packed square.

The period between the death of the pope and the appointment of his successor follows a series of rituals with a very specific vocabulary.

Six words you need to know to follow this essential period for the Church.

“Camerlengo”

Also known as the “chamberlain”, the Camerlengo is a cardinal who governs the Church between the death or resignation of a pope and the election of his successor. He acts as interim pope.

He is in charge of formally verifying the pope’s death — and then sealing his room and study.

After announcing that the pope had "returned to the home of the Father", Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell took on this role.

“College of Cardinals”

Cardinals are responsible for electing the new pope. They form the highest sphere of the Catholic Church. There are currently 252 of them worldwide, and 135 will take part in the conclave as “cardinal electors” (only those under the age of 80 have the right to vote) who gather in the Vatican to choose the new pope.

“Conclave”

This is the assembly of cardinals responsible for electing the future pope in the Sistine Chapel. It must begin no more than 20 days after the death or resignation of a pope. The electors are sequestered from all outsiders for the duration of the conclave.

This meeting is named after the once locked room in which it was held, known in Latin as “cum clave” (“locked place”).

The “Dean”

The oldest cardinal is the “Dean” who presides the College of Cardinals. At present, this is the Italian Giovanni Battista Re. However, as Re is over 80 years old, this task will fall to Vatican’s Secretary of State, the Italian Pietro Parolin.

Once a new pope is chosen, it is the Dean who asks him if he accepts and what name he wants to be called.

“White smoke”

During the conclave, the outside world is kept informed via a smoke system.

If a cardinal obtains two-thirds of the votes, then the ballot is over and the pope is appointed. The ballots are burnt in a stove, producing a white smoke to announce the election of the new pope. Along with the white smoke, the bells of St. Peter's Basilica will ring to proclaim the event to the world.

As long as no cardinals obtain a majority of the vote, the papers are burnt in another stove which produces black smoke — a sign that the vote is not yet conclusive.

“Habemus Papam’



These are the words used by the “protodeacon” (the dean by seniority in the order) of the College of Cardinals to announce from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica that a new pope has been elected.

This Latin phrase, which means “We have a pope”, allows the appointment of the new Pontiff to be announced to the whole world. He then gives his first solemn blessing.

In a notable moment during the funeral Mass, US President Donald Trump took part in the Catholic ritual known as the ‘sign of peace’.

He exchanged handshakes with his immediate neighbours: Finnish President Alexander Stubb, with whom he recently played golf in Florida, and Estonian President Alar Karis. Trump also reached out to shake hands with French President Emmanuel Macron, seated a short distance away.

In Catholic liturgy, the "sign of peace" happens after the Our Father and before Communion, when the congregation is invited to offer a gesture of peace to one another: usually a handshake, bow, or embrace, depending on tradition.

Before the funeral Mass began, US President Donald Trump met privately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, both the White House and Zelenskyy's office confirmed.

White House communications director Steven Cheung described the encounter as “a very productive discussion,” adding that more details would be released later.

It remains unclear whether Trump met with any other world leaders ahead of the service. His stay in Rome is expected to be brief, with a tightly packed schedule, although he had mentioned before departing Washington that he planned to hold “a lot” of meetings with counterparts on the sidelines of the funeral.

Two main moments of applause rippled through the crowd in St Peter’s Square as Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the college of cardinals, recalled Pope Francis’ unwavering commitment to migrants and the needy during his homily.

“It is significant that Pope Francis’ first journey was to Lampedusa, an island that symbolises the tragedy of migration, with thousands of people drowning at sea,” Cardinal Re said.

He also cited the pope’s visit to Lesbos, alongside the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens, and the Mass he celebrated at the Mexico–US border.

The hundreds of thousands gathered emphasised the most emotional moments of Re’s address with fresh rounds of applause, particularly when he spoke of the pope’s tireless appeals for peace.

“Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice, imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions," Re continued.

He concluded with one of Pope Francis’ most enduring exhortations: “Build bridges, not walls”. Re pointed out that the pope’s service of faith as the successor of the Apostle Peter was always deeply connected to a service of humanity in all its dimensions.

The coffin of Pope Francis was sealed in St Peter's Basilica on Friday evening, after a three-day viewing period during which thousands of people lined up to see the pope lying.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell presided over the sealing of the coffin in his role of camerlengo, or interim Vatican administrator.

Read more here:

Pope Francis’ coffin sealed in St Peter’s Basilica ahead of funeral

As many as 200,000 people are in attendance at Pope Francis’ funeral in St Peter’s Square as he is being laid to rest Saturday. #EuropeNews…

“We are gathered with sad hearts in prayer around his mortal remains,” Cardinal Re began in his homily at the funeral Mass for Pope Francis.

The cardinal recalled the final days of the pope’s life, marked by declining health. “Despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life,” he said.

He praised the late pontiff's enduring strength and serenity, remaining close to his flock, the Church of God, guided by the words of Jesus quoted by the Apostle Paul: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Cardinal Re also reflected on the significance of the name Francis, noting that from the beginning, it revealed the pastoral vision Pope Francis sought to embody, drawing inspiration from the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Among the liturgical texts read during the Pope's funeral Mass is a reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book of the New Testament, recounting the first years of the Christian community after the crucifixion of Jesus.

The second reading is taken from Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, a letter written by the apostle Paul in 55 AD.

The Gospel is that of John (21, 15-19), the last of the four Gospels of the New Testament.

On the steps of St Peter’s Square during the funeral of Pope Francis, US President Donald Trump and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen exchanged a handshake.

It was their first encounter since 21 January 21 2020, when the two met at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The interaction was limited to formal courtesies, not a whole conversation, but the tone seemed notably cordial despite tensions over tariffs between the two shores of the Atlantic.

In a surprise move, Vatican protocol has been set aside for Pope Francis' funeral, with major last-minute changes to the seating arrangements in the front row.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania have been given a spot in the very first row. To Trump's right sits the President of Finland, and to his left, the President of Estonia.

Next to the Estonian leader is King Felipe of Spain, while beside the Finnish president are French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also has a front-row seat, though positioned slightly farther from Trump.

A high-profile reshuffling reflects the complex international presence at this historic event.

The funeral Mass for Pope Francis will be celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals — and notably, one of the frontrunners to be elected in the next conclave.

History seems to echo here: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger also presided over the funeral of Pope John Paul II, and just weeks later was elected as Pope Benedict XVI.

Around 980 cardinals, patriarchs, bishops, archbishops, priests and deacons are gathered to concelebrate the Mass, seated in the front rows of St Peter’s Square, next to the section reserved for official delegations from around the world.

Communion will be distributed by 200 ministers, with an estimated 4,000 priests present across the square.

In an interview with Italian public broadcaster RAI, European Council President Antonio Costa said he was open to a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

Trump has not yet met any leader of the European institutions.

“The relationship between Europe and the US is central to the stability of the world and to the development and economic prosperity of everyone. And so we are genuinely committed to having the best possible relations with the US as a partner, ally and friend,” Antonio Costa said.

"We are always available to meet and talk with President Trump anywhere, and why not in Rome.”

Costa also looked back on his meeting with Pope Francis in 2023 at the World Youth Day in Lisbon. “He said ‘our Church, that is to say our society, is for everyone,’’ Costa recalled.

The Council president added that in the pope's opinion, “the issues of housing and wages” were key political matters, along with dignity.

Costa also stressed that the late pontiff's relationship with the EU had always been “very strong”.

“He always saw the EU as the place where humanist values have succeeded in developing the strongest state of well-being,” Costa said, adding that the EU had succeeded in “guaranteeing everyone real freedoms in the democratic arena".

A solemn moment unfolds in St Peter’s Square as 14 pallbearers carry the light wood and zinc coffin of Pope Francis from inside the basilica to the steps outside, marking the beginning of his final Mass. 

The coffin was sealed last night around 8 pm in a ceremony led by Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Joseph Farrell.

Inside the coffin, the pope is dressed in a red chasuble, a liturgical vestment symbolising both papal mourning and the Passion of Christ, in accordance with Vatican protocol.

On his head rests the traditional white mitre, its twin peaks symbolising the union of the Old and New Testaments, and the sanctity of the papal office.

Between his hands, a rosary — a gesture of prayer and devotion to Mary — symbolises a spiritual chain linking the pope to God.

Several sacred items have been placed with him: the pallium, a white stole with three black crosses made from delicate fabrics, and on his finger, a simple silver ring he wore during his years in Buenos Aires, not the famed Fisherman’s Ring.

As is tradition, a metal scroll known as the "rogito" summarising his pontificate has been included in the coffin, along with medals and coins minted during his time as pope.

The live stream from above, provided by the Italian state police, shows tens of thousands gathered in the square for Pope Francis' funeral as the Mass is about to begin.

Five large screens were set up in St Peter's Square for the thousands of people present to watch the funeral: two under the churchyard, another two on the sides of the colonnade, and one on Via della Conciliazione, the main thoroughfare leading to the square.

It's a sunny day in Rome, with hymns blaring from the speakers for the faithful who are arriving in droves.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has posted a photo of her and the late Pope Francis with the words "the final farewell".

Metsola previously called Francis a "guiding light". "I will never forget his warmth, his wisdom and his contagious smile," Metsola posted after news of Francis' death.

US President Donald Trump and Italian leader Giorgia Meloni have arrived at St Peter's Square.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also descended on the square to pay her respects to the late Pope Francis.

Some 140,000 people have already gathered at St. Peter's Square to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, according to the latest estimate from Rome Police, while a total of 140 delegations have already entered the Vatican.

About an hour before the start of the ceremony, St Peter's Square is close to reaching its maximum capacity of 40,000 people.

Another 100,000 people are already present in Via Conciliazione — the main avenue that leads to the square and along nearby roads.

Everything is ready in St Peter's Square, where the funeral Mass for Pope Francis will take place at 10 am CEST.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the Mass, which will be concelebrated by Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests from across the globe, according to the Vatican.

The Eucharistic celebration will conclude with the Ultima commendatio and the Valedictio. Italian daily Corriere della Sera reports that the Cardinal Dean will sprinkle the body of Pope Francis with holy water and incense, marking the start of the "novemdiales," or the nine days of mourning for the late pontiff.

The casket will then be transferred in a solemn procession to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Pope Francis' chosen final resting place.

Scores of world leaders have descended on the Vatican for Pope Francis' funeral, including monarchs, heads of state, prime ministers, ambassadors, as well as representatives from 146 countries and 10 international organisations.

Top European Union officials will be in attendance, as well as representatives of international organisations such as the United Nations and the WHO.

Royal families from 12 countries, including the king and queen of Spain, Prince William of the United Kingdom, and royal couples from Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Jordan will also attend.

After some confusion about his attendance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy touched down in Rome this morning with his wife Olena Zelenska and a Ukrainian delegation, according to Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne. It was unclear if the Ukrainian leader would attend after his travel plans were disrupted by Russian air strikes on Kyiv.

US President Donald Trump will also attend, sitting next to the African states of Eswatini and Ethiopia, as organisers opt for French alphabetical order.

Trump and Zelenskyy apart at pope’s funeral by French seating order

The pope’s funeral will be held in a tense geopolitical climate, and Vatican officials are facing a complicated diplomatic chessboard. #EuropeNews…

Following the funeral at St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis will make his final journey through the Eternal City in a solemn funeral procession to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

The funeral procession is expected to depart around 12:30 local time, tracing a route of more than 5 kilometres that winds through some of the most iconic streets and landmarks of Rome.

From St Peter’s Basilica, the procession will move through the Pasa tunnel, cross the Tiber River via Ponte Principe Amedeo di Savoia Aosta, and continue along the historic Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.

It will then pass through Piazza Venezia, home to the Altare della Patria, and proceed along the Fori Imperiali, flanked by the ancient ruins of the Roman Empire. After passing the Colosseum, the cortege will continue along Via Labicana and Via Merulana before reaching its final stop at Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the city’s four major papal basilicas.

Numerous road closures and traffic restrictions have been implemented along the route for safety and security reasons. Crowds are expected to line the streets to bid farewell to the late pontiff.

It's morning in the Vatican at St Peter's Basilica, where Pope Francis' body has been lying in state for the last three days.

More than 200,000 people from across the world have gathered to pay their respects to the religious leader, with Saturday marking the start of the next phase of his papal rites.

A public mass is expected to start at 10 am CEST and will last for an hour and a half. After this, Pope Francis' body will be transferred to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial.

Join us for live updates throughout the ceremony and this day as thousands of mourners bid farewell to one of the world's most important religious leaders in what will be remembered as a major historical event.