Tens of thousands of the faithful to pay their respects to the Pope as he lies in state

Mourners will be able to view the body of Pope Francis lying in state in St Peter’s Basilica from Wednesday, ahead of his funeral this weekend.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to travel to the Vatican over the next three days to pay their respects to the pontiff, who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.

After his funeral on Saturday morning (9am UK time) there will be a nine-day period of mourning, known as the “novendiali”, after which the secretive meeting – called the conclave – will begin to elect a new pope.

Pope Francis: Follow the latest

The conclave to choose his successor must start between 5 and 10 May.

The first images of his body were released on Tuesday, showing him in red vestments and his bishop’s mitre in a wooden casket.

The Vatican secretary of state was shown praying over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived and died.

Previous popes were entombed in three coffins: the first made of wood, another of lead and a third, again made of wood. But in 2024, Francis changed the rules and said that only one coffin, a wooden one lined in zinc, should be used.

In a break from tradition, he will be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St Mary Major), according to his wishes.

Following the pope’s death, from a stroke and heart failure, world leaders have praised his moral leadership and compassion.

On Tuesday, Sir Keir Starmer described him as “a quite remarkable man, and the work and commitment that he put into fairness over so many years, and globally, I think will be a real lasting legacy”.

Francis leaves behind a more inclusive but also divided Catholic Church

by Barbara Serra, Sky News presenter in Rome

An institution like the Catholic Church, which is more than 2,000 years old and has changed leadership 266 times, is well-versed in managing transition.

But while the steps that follow a pope’s death may be strictly dictated by tradition, the mood is often very different, depending on the pope that is being replaced.

The word Catholic means universal, and it’s a good reminder of the challenge facing any pope – leading a congregation 1.4 billion strong from all over the world, with differing ideas about if and how change should happen, is far from easy.

The global demographics of Catholicism are changing rapidly. Pope Francis was keenly aware of this.

We often talk about him as progressive, but a more accurate term to describe his papacy would be “inclusive”.

Read more from Barbara here

Sir Keir will join a growing list of dignitaries who will attend the funeral on Saturday, including Prince William, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ireland’s prime minister Micheal Martin, Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia, and Donald Trump.

Read more from Sky News:
St Peter’s Square full of smiles
How accurate is Conclave?
What next after the Pope?

Huge numbers have attended the funerals of Pope Francis’s predecessors.

In 2023, around 50,000 people attended the funeral of Benedict XVI, according to the Washington Post. In 2005, around 300,000 went to the funeral of John Paul II.

Once the conclave begins, cardinals vote in secret sessions in the Sistine Chapel.

After voting sessions, the ballots are burned in a special stove. Black smoke indicates that no pope has been elected, while white smoke indicates that the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.

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