Pope Francis funeral updates: Who is attending, how to watch and what to expect

Several world leaders are set to arrive in Rome as Pope Francis will be laid to rest on Saturday. The funeral comes six days after the pontiff died of stroke and heart failure. He was 88.

Pope Francis's coffin was sealed in a ceremony on Friday evening.

Who is attending Pope Francis's funeral?

Around 2 lakh people are expected to attend the funeral, including more than 100 delegations representing foreign countries. Indian President Droupadi Murmu will be among world leaders attending the ceremony.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will travel to Rome in what will be his first foreign trip. Host country Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella will receive the world leaders. Javier Milei who is the president of Pope Francis's home country Argentina will also be present. 

Others leaders include UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, UK PM Keir Starmer and Prince William, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Poland President Andrzej Duda.

Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Moldova’s President Maia Sandu, Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheal Martin, Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic, Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkevics, Denmark’s Queen Mary, Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker and Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov are among the European leaders attending the ceremony.

Dominican Republic President Lui Abinader, Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa, Bangladesh’s Interim leader Muhammad Yunus, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Democratic Republic of the Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, Central Africa Republic’s President Faustin-Archange Touadera, Gabon’s President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema and Cape Verde’s President Jose Maria Neves will also be present.

Notable leaders who would not attend the funeral include Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is facing arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over Ukraine crisis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who is also under arrest warrant will not come for the pontiff's final rites.

How is Pope Francis's funeral different from his predecessors?

A funeral mass was held at St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday morning. Following this the pontiff's coffin will be shifted to Rome and buried at the Basilica of St Mary Major. 

This makes Pope Francis the first pope to be interred outside Vatican in more than a century. He picked St Mary Major as his burial place because he would pray at the basilica before and after his travels outside Rome and even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pope Francis had also directed officials beforehand to simplify his funeral rites as well as for future popes.

What next after Pope Francis's funeral?

The public can begin visiting Pope Francis's tomb from Sunday, the day after the funeral. The funeral on Saturday will begin the nine-day mourning period -- Novemdiales.

The cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church will hold a conclave in early May. The conclave has to beging 15 to 20 days after the pontiff's death. This would mean that the conclave will be held between May 6 and 11.

When is the funeral and how to watch it?

The funeral ceremony will begin at 1.30 pm IST (10 am CET) on April 26.

The New York Times, Disney+, Hulu and the Vatican News YouTube channel will stream the funeral of Pope Francis live. DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and Fubo will also livestream the event.

In the US, outlets like CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and Peacock will livestream the event. In the UK, viewers can catch the even live on BBC and Sky News while in Canada, it can be watched on CBC Television and CTV. In Spain, Television Epanola's 24 Horas channel will telecast the funeral and in Brazil, Globo News and CNN Brasil will broadcast it.

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