World leaders arrive in Rome for the Pope Francis funeral

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World leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, arrive at St Peter Square in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral mass.

The deceased pontiff, whose body will rest on Saturday in Santa Maria Maggiore, his favorite church of Rome, broke with centuries of tradition and requested Simplified rites For the ceremony.

World leaders are expected to attend funeral Mass, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of the Argentina’s right, Javier Milei, and Brazil’s leftist President Luiz Inácio Da Silva.

During its twelve years on the papal throne, Francesc It was intended that the Catholic Church, to claim 1.4 million people worldwide, to be more compassionate and accessible, while addressing contemporary problems such as climate change.

His death this week at the age of 88 Trump’s Maga movement.

The Vatican said that it was estimated that 250,000 people had passed through the Basilica of Saint Peter during the three days that Francis was in a state before his coffin was sealed on Friday evening.

Royalty, including Prince William of the United Kingdom and the monarchs of Spain, Sweden and Denmark, will attend the funeral mass on Saturday, as well as heads of international institutions such as the UN and the European Commission. Former United States President Joe Biden will also attend.

The Holy Seva hopes that about 200,000 people will go to Plaça de Sant Pere for the funeral mass, including 220 cardinals and about 750 bishops and priests.

The burial marks the beginning of a period of formal mourning of nine days, after which up to 135 Cardinals eligible under 80 years will be blocked in the Vatican to select a secret conclave the new pope.

Among the first clashes are Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the missing Pope, the Cardinal Luis Tagle of Philippines and the Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu.

Francis last year simplified papal death rites. Archbishop Diego Ravelli, a master of apostolic ceremonies, said at the time that the changes were highlighted that “the Roman pontiff’s funeral is that of a shepherd and a disciple of Christ, not a powerful person in this world.”

The homily at the funeral mass will be given by the Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91, the words of which will probably be interpreted by many Catholics as a spiritual orientation to Cardinal voters on the qualities that they should look for in a new pope.

After the Mass, the coffin will be taken by Hearse from the Basilica of Saint Peter to Santa Maria Maggiore, which Francis visited before and after each papal journey. It will be the first pope in more than a century to be buried outside the walls of the Vatican city.

The 5.5 km funeral procession, which will travel on foot, will pass many of the most famous monuments in Rome, including the Coliseum.

Although the funeral will be a private ceremony, the church will open shortly after so that the pains can respect the deceased pope, which is under a marble tombstone inscribed simply “Francisc”.

Giuliana Ricozzi’s additional reports