The Vatican has announced that the funeral of Pope Francis will take place on Saturday morning in St Peter’s Square.
The Argentine pontiff, who passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88, will then be taken into St Peter’s Basilica before being transported to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome for burial.
In breaking from tradition, Pope Francis will not be buried in the Vatican as he requested to be buried in a simple wooden casket near his beloved icon of the Madonna at St Mary Major basilica which he frequently visited in his lifetime.
Dignitaries from around the world are expected at the funeral, including U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
