World Leaders Gather at Vatican for Pope Francis' Historic Funeral

World leaders, royalty, and thousands of mourners will gather Saturday at St. Peter’s Square to honor Pope Francis, who died Monday at age 88 after a stroke. His death marks the end of a transformative 12-year papacy focused on social justice, immigration, and climate change.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who often clashed with Francis on immigration issues, will join leaders from more than 150 countries, including presidents from Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, and Ukraine, and prime ministers from Britain and New Zealand. European royals will also attend the funeral, expected to draw around 250,000 mourners.

Francis’ casket, laid out in St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing over three days, will be carried into the square for a 90-minute funeral Mass led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. Breaking tradition, Francis chose a simpler zinc-lined wooden coffin over the customary triple casket and requested burial at Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major instead of the Vatican.

Known as the first non-European pope in nearly 1,300 years, Francis championed the poor and pushed for Church transparency, though his reforms faced internal resistance. His funeral will reflect his humble legacy, favoring simplicity over grand ceremony.

Security across Rome has been tightened with airspace closures and heightened patrols, marking one of Italy’s largest operations since Pope John Paul II’s funeral in 2005. Following the burial, the Church’s attention will turn to the secretive conclave to elect the next pope, expected to start after May 6.

Francis leaves behind a powerful legacy of compassion, simplicity, and global outreach, setting a new tone for the future of the Catholic Church.