Pope Francis funeral updates: Pope Francis laid to rest after historic funeral in front of 250,000

Francis, 88, died on Monday at the Vatican.

ByKevin Shalvey and Jon Haworth
Last Updated: April 26, 2025, 11:45 AM EDT

Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, was buried Saturday at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major after dying one week ago at 88 years old.

Francis, who took his name after Saint Francis of Assisi, was known for his outreach to the poor and those in poverty and that will be reflected in his minimalist burial at Saint Mary Major. He is the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in over a century and the first to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore in more than 300 years.

Key Headlines

Here's how the news is developing.
Apr 26, 2025, 4:08 AM EDT

Trump pays respects along with Melania, Joe and Jill Biden also in attendance

President Donald Trump has arrived at St. Peter’s Square alongside First Lady Melania Trump to pay their respects and say goodbye to Pope Francis.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attend the funeral Mass of Pope Francis, at the Vatican, April 26, 2025.
Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

Former President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, are also in attendance.

The president and first lady were among the mourners paying their respects at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
1:44
President Trump, Melania Trump pay respects to Pope FrancisThe president and first lady were among the mourners paying their respects at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
ABCNews.com

Donald Trump paid his respects to Pope Francis at his closed coffin inside St. Peter's Basilica before making his way outside to take his seat with many other world leaders and dignitaries.

Apr 26, 2025, 3:54 AM EDT

Cloudless skies in Rome with more warm weather expected

Rome is expected to be sunny and clear on Saturday with a low this morning of 52 F but is estimated to be hovering around 60 F when Pope Francis' funeral begins at 10 a.m.

The high later this afternoon could reach up to 72 F with sunny skies and no rain expected.

Apr 26, 2025, 3:27 AM EDT

The funeral of Pope Francis set to begin in less than an hour

World leaders and global dignitaries, along with tens of thousands of mourners, are arriving in St. Peter's Square as the funeral of Pope Francis is set to begin at 10 a.m. at the Vatican.

Heavy security can also be seen as thousands of Italian police and law enforcement are out in force Saturday morning, watching over the gathering crowds in advance of the start of the funeral.

Apr 25, 2025, 11:27 PM EDT

Immigration advocate nun makes journey to Pope Francis' funeral

A Texas nun who advocates for immigrants is making an unexpected journey to Rome for Pope Francis' funeral a decade after the pontiff singled her out for praise during a 2015 ABC News event.

Sister Norma Pimentel has been the face of immigrant advocacy in South Texas for more than a decade, overseeing the Rio Grande Valley in her role as executive director of Catholic Charities.

Sister Norma Pimental is shown during an interview with ABC News.
ABC News

Speaking to ABC News on Thursday, Pimentel recalled her work with migrant families in 2014 when she helped Border Patrol respond to large groups of families arriving in poor conditions, mostly from El Salvador. She highlighted the community's response at Sacred Heart Parish Hall and discussed the impact of Pope Francis' support.

"I visited Rome and wrote him letters and he sent a video message," Pimentel told ABC News. "After that, I was invited to the Vatican a couple of times to speak and I met the Holy Father as well."

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-ABC News' Mireya Villarreal, James Scholz and Doc Louallen

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