April 25, 2025 | 01:58 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis' funeral will be held on Saturday morning, April 26, 2025, at St. Peter's Basilica. The funeral ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter's Basilica Square. Following that, the Pope's casket, which hails from Argentina, will be taken inside the church and then to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome for burial.
Pope's Body Moved to St. Peter's Basilica
Currently, Pope Francis' body has been moved from his residence at Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter's Basilica to allow the public to pay their last respects until the funeral ceremony. The transfer of the body took place on Wednesday morning and was led by the cardinals who gathered in Rome following the death of the highest leader of the Catholic Church.
Over 20,000 people crowded St. Peter's Square to pay their last respects. They gently applauded as the open wooden casket containing Pope Francis' body in a red robe was carried up the steps towards the basilica. The casket was then placed in front of the Confession Altar, while a choir chanted the Litany of the Saints in Latin to pray for the peace of his soul.
Heads of State to Attend Pope's Funeral
Several world leaders are scheduled to attend Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday, April 26, 2025. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be present along with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince William representing King Charles III.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will also attend, as reported by the Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper. U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to fly to the Vatican from Washington, D.C., on Friday morning.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, along with First Lady Rosangela Lula da Silva, will attend the ceremony. Meanwhile, President Ramos Horta of Timor Leste and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and First Lady Liza Marcos of the Philippines are also scheduled to attend to pay their last respects to Pope Francis.
Prabowo Appoints Jokowi to Attend Pope's Funeral
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has appointed the 7th President, Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, as the official representative of Indonesia to attend the Pope's funeral at the Vatican. In addition to Jokowi, the Indonesian delegation that will attend includes Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai, Deputy Minister of Finance Thomas Djiwandono, and former Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ignasius Jonan.
"We hope this envoy can represent our nation in conveying sympathy and condolences," said State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi at the Ministry of State Secretariat office in Jakarta on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
According to Prasetyo, the delegation is scheduled to depart for the Vatican on Thursday or Friday, at the latest. The Indonesian government also extends its condolences on Pope Francis' passing.
Funeral Open to the Public
The funeral mass of Pope Francis will be held on Saturday and is open to the public. It is expected to attract thousands of Catholic devotees worldwide, as was the case in the funerals of previous popes.
The Italian government and Vatican authorities have implemented stringent security measures throughout the city of Rome, as the number of mourners is predicted to reach 200,000 people, far larger than the number of mourners at the funeral of Pope Benedict in 2023, which was around 50,000 people.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will lead the funeral mass, along with the leaders of the Catholic Church from various countries. This procession will be conducted with a more modest atmosphere compared to the funerals of previous popes, following reforms implemented by Pope Francis last year, including using only one wooden casket, replacing the three caskets usually used.
Sita Planasari, Dewi Rina Cahyani, Hendrik Yaputra, and Mila Novita contributed to the writing of this article
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