Pope Francis funeral St Mary Major: Final wishes honoured as world leaders prepare to attend

Admin

April 23, 2025
3 min read

Pope Francis funeral St Mary Major: Final wishes honoured as world leaders prepare to attend

In a week where emotion has swept across continents, the Vatican has confirmed that Pope Francis’s funeral will take place this Saturday, with the service set for 10am in St Peter’s Square. As Londoners and others across the UK reflect on his legacy, his choice to be buried not within the Vatican but at Rome’s Basilica of St Mary Major has touched many who saw him as a Pope who walked among the people.

The 88-year-old pontiff passed away early on Easter Monday after suffering a stroke. Despite a recent battle with double pneumonia, he had led Easter Mass just hours earlier, a quiet show of strength from a man who had made simplicity a defining feature of his papacy.

His funeral is expected to draw around 250,000 mourners, including UK figures such as Sir Keir Starmer and the Prince of Wales. Also attending are world leaders from the United States, Brazil, France, Ukraine and Argentina, all reflecting the Pope’s global reach and deep influence. The square in front of St Peter’s Basilica will be transformed as thousands pay their respects in person, with many more watching across the world.

As per his wishes, there will be no raised coffin or elaborate trappings. His body lies in state at St Peter’s Basilica until Friday in an open casket, allowing pilgrims, locals and visiting mourners to quietly file past. Public access hours have been extended to accommodate the turnout. He will be laid to rest in earth rather than a tomb, marked only by his papal name: Franciscus.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will preside over Saturday’s service. Following the funeral, a traditional nine-day mourning period known as Novemdiales will begin, after which the conclave of cardinals will meet in Rome to elect his successor.

One of the first modern Popes to eschew luxury housing and ceremonial privilege, Pope Francis funeral St Mary Major not only marks the end of an era but underlines the legacy of humility he leaves behind. His burial choice, a public basilica in the heart of Rome, speaks volumes about his approach: grounded, accessible, and determined to leave the Church open to all.

pexels photo 13078562 — Basillica of St Mary Major

For those in the UK wanting to reflect further, official Vatican updates and photos are available via the Basilica of St Mary Major, which will become the final resting place of a Pope who never sought grandeur.

For more updates on Pope Francis’s funeral at the Basillica of St Mary Major, visit EyeOnLondon. We’d love to hear your views in the comments.