Mourners will bid a final farewell to Pope Francis on Saturday during his funeral Mass, which is expected to draw international leaders as well as cardinals, archbishops and priests from around the world to the Vatican. The rites will be broadcast by news networks around the globe.
Until the funeral, his body, dressed in papal vestments, will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Here’s what to know.
Where can I watch the funeral?
The funeral will take place on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern) in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced.
The New York Times will stream the funeral as part of its live coverage on Saturday, and many U.S. television networks, including NBC, CBS, CNN and ABC, are planning to broadcast it as well. International broadcasters, such as the BBC in Britain, will also cover the funeral.
The funeral will also air on the Vatican’s news channel on YouTube, which has been streaming much of the rites.
Where can I watch the funeral internationally?
In Canada, major networks such as CBC Television and CTV across the country are expected to carry the service. In the United Kingdom, news networks including Sky News and the BBC are also expected to broadcast the funeral.
In Brazil, there is Globo News and CNN Brasil. And in Spain, viewers should be able to catch the service on Televisión Española with its news channel 24 Horas.
What will happen at the funeral?
The funeral of Pope Francis will follow a series of centuries-old rituals.
On Saturday, a public funeral Mass will be held in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals.
The funeral will be more modest than rites for past pontiffs: Pope Francis last year simplified the rules around papal funerals, with changes that include using only one wooden coffin instead of three.
After the Mass, Francis’ body will be interred in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, where seven other popes are buried.
Francis wrote in his will that he wanted his “last earthly journey to end at this very ancient Marian shrine.” He requested a simple, undecorated tomb with only the inscription “Franciscus,” the Vatican said.
The churches of Rome will hold special Masses in memory of Francis for nine days after the funeral.
Who is expected to attend?
World leaders and Catholic worshipers from around the world will attend the funeral. Expected attendees include: President Trump, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, President Javier Milei of Argentina and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, the world’s largest Catholic country.
Johnny Diaz contributed reporting.
