The funeral Mass for the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church began Saturday morning in St. Peter’s Square. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, is presiding over the ceremony. The Mass is being attended by world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Approximately 250,000 mourners have gathered to pay their respects.​

In accordance with Pope Francis’ wishes for a modest farewell, his body was placed in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc, foregoing the traditional triple casket. He will be interred at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, making him the first pope since 1903 to be buried outside the Vatican

His death on Monday marked the end of a papacy defined by compassion, reform, and a deep commitment to the marginalized.