The event will take place at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. Afterwards, the pope’s body will be transferred to St. Mary Major in Rome.
The funeral of Pope Francis will take place on Saturday, with world leaders like US President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in attendance.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose foreign travel is limited by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, has confirmed he won’t attend.
The event will take place at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. Afterwards, the pope’s body will be transferred to St. Mary Major in Rome. Before his passing, the Pope Francis asked for an understated approach to his funeral. As a result, it will be the first time in over a century that a Pope will not be buried in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Meanwhile, Italy has declared five days of national mourning to honor him.
President Putin treated Pope Francis with great respect — Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin held deep respect for Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“The president sent a telegram expressing his condolences over the Pope’s death. They had met many times and treated each other with great respect,” the Kremlin spokesman pointed out.
Putin and Francis were personally acquainted. They met three times — during the Russian president’s brief visits to the Vatican in 2013, 2015, and 2019 — and also communicated by phone, with their most recent contact in December 2021. Each March, Putin sent the Pope congratulations on the anniversary of his election to the See of St. Peter, and every December, the Vatican received messages from the Russian leader on the occasion of New Year’s Eve and Christmas.
Last March, Putin congratulated Francis on the 12th anniversary of his election, wishing the pontiff good health and highlighting the significance of his efforts to promote peace and harmony among nations. At that time, Francis was hospitalized with a complicated form of pneumonia.
In his New Year 2024 message, Putin praised the Pope’s dedication to the values of humanism and justice. In an earlier telegram, the Russian president noted that he warmly recalled his meetings with Francis and their constructive, meaningful conversations.