What you need to know about the pope's funeral: From how to watch to who's attending

World leaders, royalty, and members of the public will come together on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis. Here's what you need to know.

A cardinal spreads incense around the body of Pope Francis, lying in a coffin with a man in white robes walking ahead. There are Swiss Guards and men in black Catholic robes standing around them.

Pope Francis died on 21 April, aged 88. Source: AAP / Alessandra Tarantino/AP

This weekend, Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, will be officially farewelled and laid to rest.

The pope died at his Vatican residence on Monday, aged 88, from stroke and heart failure, following a recent bout of double pneumonia.

His body has been lying in state in St Peter's Basilica since Wednesday, and tens of thousands of mourners have travelled to the Vatican to pay their respects. On Friday evening, his coffin will be sealed during a liturgical rite ahead of the funeral the next day.

Here's what to know about Pope Francis' funeral, ceremonial traditions, and who is attending.

When is Pope Francis' funeral?

The funeral will be held on Saturday 26 April at St Peter's Square from 6pm AEST (10am Rome time).

The service is expected to last for about two and a half hours.

Vatican Media will host a live stream on YouTube and on its website. SBS will also stream the funeral via the new Euronews fast channel from 5pm to 9pm AEST. You can watch it here.

Dozens of leaders from around the world and hundreds of thousands of members of the public are expected to attend.

What happens at the pope's funeral?

The pope's funeral is typically steeped in tradition and ancient rituals, but before his death, Francis chose to simplify or opt out of some papal funeral traditions.

In 2023, Francis said he would like to be buried at Rome's Basilica of Saint Mary Major, departing from the tradition of almost 100 popes who chose to be buried in the Vatican Grottoes. He is also expected to be buried in a single coffin, rather than the three traditionally used.
People line up in the centre of a basilica.
Pope Francis' body has been lying in state in the lead-up to his funeral on Saturday. Source: AAP / Emilio Morenatti/AP
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the funeral.

He will lead prayers and Bible readings, and deliver the final commendation and valediction. Readings are expected to be held in a mixture of languages, including Latin, Italian and English.

The funeral will mark the beginning of the Novemdiales, or nine days of mourning.

Which Australians are attending the pope's funeral?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton will not be attending the funeral.

Albanese has confirmed Australia will be represented by Governor-General Sam Mostyn and the ambassador to the Vatican, Keith Pitt.

Trade Minister Don Farrell will also attend, along with Nationals MP Michael McCormack, who was nominated by Dutton to represent the Coalition.

Which other world leaders are attending the pope's funeral?

The Australian representatives will join leaders and royalty from around the world.

United States President Donald Trump, Italy's President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and French President Emmanuel Macron have all said they will attend.

Javier Milei, president of Argentina (where Francis was born), will also attend.
From the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince William are both expected to attend.

Representing the European Union will be Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Council president António Costa, and Parliament president Roberta Metsola.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be attending, while the Kremlin has said Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend.

Additional reporting by the Reuters news agency.


 For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.

Share
3 min read

Published

By Jessica Bahr
Source: SBS News


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world