Overview

• Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re led the Requiem Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, attended by an estimated 200,000 people, including numerous global leaders.
• The funeral procession traveled six kilometers through central Rome, passing landmarks such as the Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum, before reaching Santa Maria Maggiore.
• Pope Francis was interred in a simple wooden coffin at Santa Maria Maggiore, fulfilling his request for a modest burial outside the Vatican crypts.
• The event was secured by 10,000 personnel, including anti-drone units and combat jets, ensuring safety for the large crowds and high-profile attendees.
• The burial inaugurates a nine-day mourning period (Novendiale) and the sede vacante, with preparations underway for the conclave to elect the next pope in early May.