Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, will be buried Saturday at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major after dying one week ago at 88 years old.
Francis, who took his name after Saint Francis of Assisi, was known for his outreach to the poor and those in poverty and that will be reflected in his minimalist burial at Saint Mary Major. He is the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in over a century and the first to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore in more than 300 years.
ABC News Live streaming coverage of the funeral will begin on Saturday at 3:30 a.m. ET, while it will also air on local ABC stations and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Latest Developments
Apr 26, 4:26 AM
Crowd applauds Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
A mostly calm crowd that has gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday morning broke out into applause when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared on the screens dotted around the square.
Zelenskyy is sitting with many other world leaders and dignitaries who have made their way from around the world to say goodbye to Pope Francis.
Apr 26, 4:23 AM
Pope Francis and Donald Trump clashed over the treatment of migrants
Even as President Donald Trump attends Pope Francis’ funeral, the two men clashed repeatedly, including as far back as Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, over how to treat migrants.
In 2016, Pope Francis criticized Trump over his pledge to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Pope Francis said while on a trip to Mexico. “This is not in the gospel.”
Trump responded at the time that he was “proud to be a Christian” and that “no leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith.” He also suggested the Mexican government had used him as a “pawn” and convinced him to make the remarks.
This year, one day before Trump was inaugurated for his second term, Pope Francis commented on his plan to carry out mass deportations.
“If it is true, it will be a disgrace, because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing pay the bill for the imbalance. It won’t do. This is not the way to solve things,” he said.
Apr 26, 4:25 AM
Trump pays respects along with Melania, Joe and Jill Biden also in attendance
President Donald Trump has arrived at St. Peter’s Square alongside First Lady Melania Trump to pay their respects and say goodbye to Pope Francis.
Former President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, are also in attendance.
Donald Trump paid his respects to Pope Francis at his closed coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica before making his way outside to take his seat with many other world leaders and dignitaries.
Apr 26, 4:04 AM
Cloudless skies in Rome with more warm weather expected
Rome is expected to be sunny and clear on Saturday with a low this morning of 52 F but is estimated to be hovering around 60 F when Pope Francis’ funeral begins at 10 a.m.
The high later this afternoon could reach up to 72 F with sunny skies and no rain expected.
Apr 26, 3:28 AM
The funeral of Pope Francis set to begin in less than an hour
World leaders and global dignitaries, along with tens of thousands of mourners, are arriving in St. Peter’s Square as the funeral of Pope Francis is set to begin at 10 a.m. at the Vatican.
Heavy security can also be seen as thousands of Italian police and law enforcement are out in force Saturday morning, watching over the gathering crowds in advance of the start of the funeral.
Apr 25, 11:27 PM
Immigration advocate nun makes journey to Pope Francis’ funeral
A Texas nun who advocates for immigrants is making an unexpected journey to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral a decade after the pontiff singled her out for praise during a 2015 ABC News event.
Sister Norma Pimentel has been the face of immigrant advocacy in South Texas for more than a decade, overseeing the Rio Grande Valley in her role as executive director of Catholic Charities.
Speaking to ABC News on Thursday, Pimentel recalled her work with migrant families in 2014 when she helped Border Patrol respond to large groups of families arriving in poor conditions, mostly from El Salvador. She highlighted the community’s response at Sacred Heart Parish Hall and discussed the impact of Pope Francis’ support.
“I visited Rome and wrote him letters and he sent a video message,” Pimentel told ABC News. “After that, I was invited to the Vatican a couple of times to speak and I met the Holy Father as well.”
Click here to read more.-ABC News’ Mireya Villarreal, James Scholz and Doc Louallen
Apr 25, 11:27 PM
Trump, Biden among prominent US politicians attending the funeral
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will be in attendance at the funeral, departing for Rome on Friday morning.
Trump is only the second sitting president to attend a pope’s funeral, following George W. Bush’s attendance at John Paul II’s funeral in 2005. Former President Bill Clinton also attended that funeral.
Joe Biden will also attend Saturday’s funeral for Francis. He is only the second Catholic president ever and a great admirer of Pope Francis, whom he met twice as sitting president: in October 2021 and June 2024. Former first lady Jill Biden will also attend.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, also a Catholic, will attend the funeral as will former Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
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