Pope Francis to be buried at St. Mary Major Basilica following Saturday funeral

The body of Pope Francis lies in state at the Vatican's Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel, surrounded by Swiss Guards, cardinals, and Vatican officials paying their respects before his transfer to St. Peter’s Basilica for public veneration on April 22, 2025. The mortal remains of Pope Francis will be transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, April 23. (Photo: Vatican Media)

By Courtney Mares/CNA

Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced Tuesday.

The Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.

Following the funeral, the pope’s coffin will be taken to St. Peter’s Basilica and then to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for burial.

In accordance with his personal wishes, Francis will not be buried in the Vatican grottoes but instead at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a church he visited more than 100 times during his papacy, before and after international trips, in devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that he plans to attend the funeral with the first lady, Melania Trump. Other heads of state, religious leaders, and thousands of faithful from around the world are expected to attend.

In the days leading up to the funeral, the late pope’s body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful can pay their final respects. He will lie in state from Wednesday morning until the funeral Saturday morning, following the rite of translation on Wednesday, April 23, which will begin at 9 a.m. A procession will pass through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs before entering the basilica through the central door, according to the Holy See Press Office.

The papal funeral will follow the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the Vatican’s official liturgical text for papal funerals, which was updated at Francis’ request in 2024. The late pope’s face, his body having been placed in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc, is covered with a silk veil.

The funeral is the first in nine days of Masses offered for the repose of his soul, known as the “Novemdiales.” Each day, a cardinal chosen by the late pope will preside over a Requiem Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.