World Mourns as Vatican Sets Funeral Date for Pope Francis

The Vatican confirmed on Tuesday that Pope Francis’s funeral has been scheduled for Saturday. Leaders across the globe, including US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, have announced their plans to attend the ceremony in respect of the late Catholic head.

At the age of 88, the Argentine pope passed away on Monday after suffering a stroke. This occurred just weeks after he was discharged from the hospital where he had spent over a month being treated for severe pneumonia in both lungs.

The funeral is set for 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Saturday and will be held in the open area in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, where large crowds are anticipated.

As per his instructions, Pope Francis will be laid in a coffin made of wood and zinc. The casket will first be placed inside the basilica before being moved to the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in Rome for interment.

This timeline was confirmed during the initial “general congregation” of cardinals held Tuesday morning — the first formal step in the traditional process of selecting a new pope, which must be completed within three weeks.