What happens next?
On Wednesday the body of Pope Francis was brought from the chapel in the late pope’s residence, the Casa Santa Marta, to St Peter’s Basilica. The procession went through Santa Marta Square, the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs and across St Peter’s Square before reaching the basilica.
Pope Francis’s body will lie in public view so that mourners, including pilgrims from overseas, can pay their respects. It is expected the late pontiff’s body will remain in the same wooden casket, dressed in red religious garments with rosary prayer beads draped across his hands. The simple casket will not be placed on an elevated platform, in accordance with the late pope’s wishes.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to queue to attend the basilica and file past the pope’s remains.
Nine days of mourning officially begin in the Vatican on Wednesday.
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When is the Pope’s funeral mass?
The Vatican has confirmed Pope Francis’s funeral will take place at 10am local time (9am Irish time) on Saturday, in St Peter’s Square. The funeral will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.
Who will represent Ireland?
The President, Michael D Higgins, and his wife Sabina will travel to Rome for the ceremony, along with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris. It is not yet clear whether the heads of Government and State will travel together or separately.
What other world leaders of note will be there?
From Europe heads of state or government in attendance will include those from Austria, Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Monaco, Czech Republic, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. In addition, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has announced he will be there. The Kremlin has said Vladamir Putin will not be there. The European Union will be represented by Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, European Council president Antonio Costa, and European Parliament president Roberta Metsola.
Other leaders from across the world who will attend include US president Donald Trump, who will travel with his wife Melania Trump. President Javier Milei of Argentina, where the pope was born in 1936, will attend. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is to attend with his wife, Janja.
The Chinese government extended its condolences nearly 24 hours after the Vatican’s announcement of the pope’s death and it is as yet unclear whether the country will be represented.
How will Ireland mark the funeral?
Flags will be flown at half-mast over public buildings on Saturday, Jack Horgan-Jones reported.
The degree of commemoration and memorialisation by the Government and the State appears to fall somewhat short of the last funeral of a sitting pope, that of John Paul II in 2005.
Pope John Paul II’s funeral was held on a Friday, and schools were given the option of closing, while civil and public service employees were to be facilitated where possible to have some time off to attend services. Private companies were asked to make similar arrangements for their workers.
It remains unclear whether similar arrangements will be put in place or sought for those working this Saturday.
A remote Cabinet meeting is expected to be held this week as, under the Constitution, a President is not permitted to leave the State during their term of office, except with the consent of the Government.
A Government spokeswoman confirmed that the Department of the Taoiseach had requested that the national flag be flown at half-mast on Monday, the day of Pope Francis’s death.
“A similar request will be made for Saturday, April 26th, for the funeral of the late Pope Francis,” she said.
How are mourners in Ireland paying tribute?
Books of condolence have been opened at cathedrals and churches across the island.
President Higgins signed the book of condolences at the Apostolic Nunciature in Cabra, Dublin, close to the Phoenix Park.
The Apparition Chapel at Knock has made a book available, as have dozens of churches in every diocese of the State.
Books have also been opened across Northern Ireland, including at Belfast’s City Hall, Derry’s Guildhall and Armagh Cathedral.
A number of sites for paying tribute are also available online.
When will the new pope be announced?
The conclave to choose a new pope will begin in early May; there is no clear front-runner.
Many TV news networks worldwide – including RTÉ, BBC News and Sky News – will broadcast the funeral live on Saturday. Vatican Media will offer a live stream on YouTube and its official websites.
