Pope Francis' Coffin Sealed Ahead of Historic Funeral at St Peter's Basilica

Pope Francis ' coffin has been sealed, ahead of his funeral tomorrow morning

Pope Francis’ coffin has been officially sealed ahead of his funeral service, scheduled for tomorrow morning in St Peter’s Square, Vatican City. The 88-year-old pontiff passed away on Monday and will be laid to rest following a solemn ceremony that will be attended by world leaders and high-ranking clergy members from around the globe.

In the three days following his death, over 250,000 mourners visited St Peter's Basilica to pay their respects. The Pope’s body had been moved from his private chapel in Santa Marta to the basilica on Wednesday morning. Unlike previous papal funerals, Francis’s coffin did not pass through the Apostolic Palace for another exposition and was not displayed on the traditional elevated bier known as the "Canaletto" or "death bed", which had been used for both John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

The pontiff, who dies on Monday at the age of 88, will be buried following a funeral service attended by the world's leaders

Public access to view the coffin ended at 7pm local time. One hour later, the Rite of Sealing of the Coffin took place, presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. Attending cardinals included Giovanni Battista Re, Pietro Parolin, Roger Mahony, Dominique Mamberti, Mauro Gambetti, Baldassare Reina, and Konrad Krajewski. Following the sealing, the coffin will remain in the basilica overnight.

On the morning of the funeral, bishops and archbishops will gather in the Constantine Wing adjacent to the basilica, dressed in chasubles, albs, belts, and simple white mitres. Priests and deacons will assemble at 8:30am in St Peter’s Square wearing similar vestments along with red stoles. At 9am, cardinals and patriarchs will meet in Saint Sebastian's Chapel, donning white Damascene mitres. They will then join the funeral procession, accompanying the late Pope, who will be vested in a red chasuble, damask, and golden papal mitre.

The body of Pope Francis lies in a casket before it's sealed, at St. Peter's Basilica, ahead of his funeral at the Vatican, April 25, 2025

The funeral service will commence at 10am local time and will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Deacon of the College of Cardinals. Distinguished international guests, including Crown Prince William of the United Kingdom and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, are expected to attend. They are listed in a special category of crown princes in the official order of precedence, followed by government delegations from countries such as Andorra, Qatar, Serbia, Indonesia, Iceland, and Ireland, led by heads of state or government officials.

The UK delegation includes Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and representatives from the British Embassy to the Holy See. Ireland’s President Michael D. Higgins is also among the dignitaries.

This photo taken and handout on April 25, 2025 by The Vatican Media shows the rite of the Velatio before to seal the coffin of Pope Francis on the eve of his funeral at The Vatican

Argentina, Pope Francis’s homeland, will take precedence in the seating arrangement, followed by Italy. Reigning sovereigns will be seated alphabetically in the French language, as French remains the traditional language of diplomacy. Other notable attendees are expected to include U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and former U.S. President Joe Biden.

The liturgy will follow the Funeral Rites of the Roman Pontiff, as laid out in Universi Dominici Gregis, a document issued in 1996 by Pope John Paul II. The service will begin with the entrance antiphon, followed by the Penitential Act, the opening prayer, and two scripture readings—one in English by Kielce Gussie and another in Spanish by Edgar Pineda. After the Universal Prayers, the mass will conclude with the sprinkling of holy water and incense by Cardinal Re.

Pope Francis lies in state in a coffin as people pay their respects at St Peter's Basilica at The Vatican, on April 25, 2025

The final commendation and valediction will formally entrust the Pope to God before the coffin is moved to the left of the altar. At approximately 11:45am, the funeral procession will begin. The coffin will be transported from St Peter’s Square across the River Tiber, past Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum, to the papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where Francis will be buried privately in a simple underground tomb, in accordance with his wishes.

Pope Francis becomes the first pontiff in over a century not to be buried at St Peter’s Basilica. The last pope to choose burial outside the Vatican was Leo XIII in 1903.