How to watch the funeral of Pope Francis – and how is it breaking from tradition?
Tens of thousands of people waited for hours to pay their respects to the pontiff as his body was lying in state this week.
Faithful queue near St. Peter's Basilica to pay respects as Pope Francis lies in state, as seen from Rome, Italy, April 25, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
The funeral of Pope Francis, who died on Monday at the age of 88, will take place in Rome on Saturday morning.
Tens of thousands of people waited for hours to pay their respects to the pontiff as his body was lying in state this week.
The coffin will be sealed by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is originally from Dublin, in a ritual this evening ahead of the papal funeral on Saturday morning.
What time will the funeral take place at?
The funeral will begin at 9am Irish time, which is 10am local time in Rome.
How can I watch it?
Coverage of the papal funeral begins at 8.30am on RTÉ One, RTÉ Player and RTÉ Radio One on Saturday morning.
It will also be livestreamed by Vatican News on YouTube.
Where is it taking place?
The funeral mass is taking place in St Peter's Square in the Vatican City, followed by burial at Santa Maria Maggiore.
What happens during the funeral?
An outdoor service led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the college of cardinals, will be held at St Peter's Square.
Following the funeral mass, a procession will take his coffin to Santa Maria Maggiore, just over two miles from St Peter's, for burial.
How will this funeral be different from other papal funerals?
Pope Francis did not wish for a funeral and burial that followed traditional papal funerals, instead setting out simplified plans that would allow him to be 'laid out and buried like any son or daughter of the church', without an elevated platform.
He wanted his body placed in a single, simple coffin made of wood and lined with zinc instead of the traditional three coffins seen during papal funerals, which saw the body placed in a cypress wood coffin which was placed in a lead coffin which was placed in an oak coffin.
Pope Francis will be buried in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica rather than St Peter's Basilica.
He requested to be buried 'in the ground, without particular decoration' other than the inscription of his papal name in Latin, Franciscus.
His tomb has been made with materials from the Italian region of Liguria, where his great grandfather lived before emigrating to Argentina in the 1800s.
Who will be in attendance?
President Michael D Higgins, his wife Sabina, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris will represent Ireland at the funeral.
US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania will also be in attendance, alongside UN secretary general António Guterres, French president Emmanuel Macron, UK prime minister Keir Starmer and others.
Tens of thousands members of the public are also expected to attend.
There are extensive security plans in place as a result of the high-profile guests and world leaders who will be in Rome this weekend, including barriers, anti-drone weaponry and anti-terrorism units.
What happens next?
The Novemdiales, the nine days of mourning, will take place following the funeral.
The conclave, when 135 cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel to appoint the next pope, is expected to begin between May 5 and 10.
A pontiff is only elected when a single candidate receives a two-thirds majority in a secret ballot.
The ballot papers are then burned in a small fire inside the Sistine Chapel. The black smoke which is produced by the fire tells the crowds waiting outside that a new pope has yet to be chosen.
When a new pontiff has been elected, the ballot papers are burned along with an additive that turns the smoke white.
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