Pope Francis lies in state in St. Peter’s Basilica ahead of his funeral on Saturday in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. The pontiff died of a stroke at age 88.
Catholic cardinals performed the ritual ceremony to transfer Pope Francis to St. Peter’s Basilica, where he will lie in state for the Catholic faithful to pay their respects to the Argentine pontiff.
The three days of public viewing are largely for ordinary Catholics to grieve the 88-year-old pope, who died Monday after suffering a stroke.
The casket passed them by along the same path the pope had travelled just days before, on Easter Sunday, in what became his final popemobile tour through the faithful. It was a surprise salute, which Francis decided at the last minute after being assured he could do it despite his continued frail health from pneumonia.
The pope made migrant rights one of the top priorities of his papacy. His death now leaves them without a crucial defender, said several migrants from different parts of the world.
“It’s very disheartening because his voice is very important … so that we aren’t discriminated or abused as much,” said Arely Salguedo, a Salvadoran in Tapachula on Mexico’s southern border.
One of the Muslim Syrian families that Francis brought back on his plane after a visit to a refugee camp in Greece in 2016 was devastated by the news of his death.
“I’m so sorry for the whole of humanity, to lose a Holy Father who was worth the whole world,” said Hasan Zaheda, who’s been rebuilding his life in Rome with his wife and their boy.
David Yambio, a refugee from South Sudan and human rights activist, met with Francis in 2023 at the Vatican.
“Pope Francis did not look at us from above; he stood among us,” Yambio posted on X. “He welcomed us with kindness, seeing our humanity where others saw only unwanted species.”
The ceremony with the Pope Francis’ body, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, pass through the crowd at the Vatican, Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
The procession included solemn cardinals, prelates and Swiss Guards escorting the pontiff to where he will lie in state.
A choir chanted as the cardinals processed slowly through the archway gates leading out into the piazza.
The U.S. vice president is currently on a four-day visit to India.
He said Wednesday that while he was able to see Pope Francis on Easter Sunday during his Vatican visit over the weekend, he didn’t “realize how sick he was” and that he would always remember the pontiff as a “great pastor.”
His body will be transferred from his home in the Vatican hotel to St. Peter’s Basilica for three days of public viewing.
Filipinos in Taiwan began gradually gathering at St. Christopher’s Church, a center for a community whose members have migrated to the island to work mainly in factories and as caregivers.
“This is a church for migrants, for people who have to live away from their loved ones, and Pope Francis had a deep concern for those people,” said Luz Fernandez, a housekeeper whose employer gave her time off to light a candle at the church. “He will be missed.”
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the leader of the largest Roman Catholic nation in Asia, will attend the funeral in Rome of Pope Francis, whom he described as “the best pope in my lifetime.”
Marcos, 67, will be joined by his wife, Louise Araneta-Marcos in the trip to Rome, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Wednesday.
The Philippine leader extolled Francis as “a man of profound faith and humility,” who “led not only with wisdom but with a heart open to all, especially the poor and the forgotten.”
Churches across the Philippines rang their bells Monday to mourn the death of Francis, who visited the country in 2015 to console survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in a central poverty-stricken region and celebrate Mass in Manila before millions of Filipinos.
He also visited then the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. The Catholic university put on display in an exhibit this week the wooden chair used by Francis, a guest book and the pen he used to sign it and other mementos that have drawn crowds.
President Donald Trump delivered a message to Catholics Monday following the death of Pope Francis: “We love you all.” Trump also predicted he’ll have “a very good” relationship with Francis’ successor.
Trump is planning to leave Washington on Friday morning to fly to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral services.
He’ll return Saturday evening, once services are over.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the president’s travel plans during her briefing with reporters on Tuesday. She did not provide details on if Trump will meet with foreign leaders during the trip, or who might travel with him as part of a U.S. delegation.
The White House says more details on travel will be coming.
