World looks on as Pope Francis makes final journey through Rome
Throngs of Catholic faithful, world leaders and onlookers will pay their last respects to Pope Francis on Saturday as the pontiff makes his final journey from the Vatican to his chosen resting place – a simple tomb in his favourite church in Rome.
The authorities are expecting as many as 200,000 people for the funeral service around St Peter's Square in the Vatican, which is due to start at 10 am (0800 GMT).
The Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will preside over a Requiem Mass in the forecourt of St Peter's Basilica. The Vatican said that 162 delegations had confirmed attendance, including dozens of heads of state and government and several reigning monarchs.
After the Mass, the pope's coffin will be brought back into St Peter's Basilica, from where a procession will set off for the burial.
Tens of thousands more people will line the 6-kilometre route through central Rome - passing sights such as Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum - to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major where Francis will be laid to rest after having visited it frequently throughout his 12-year papacy.
Francis will be the first pope not to be interred in St Peter's Basilica in more than a century.
The burial itself will take place on a relatively modest scale: with cardinals, but also with Francis' close associates and his personal nurse.
At the pope's request, some of the poor and homeless will also be present.
Francis died of a stroke, followed by a coma and heart failure on Easter Monday, having in recent weeks battled acute respiratory failure, arterial hypertension and other ailments. He was 88.
With Rome already hosting hordes of visitors due to the Easter celebrations and the 2025 Jubilee, the pope's death plunged the city into feverish preparations for the funeral and also the election of a new head of the Catholic Church.
More than 220 cardinals will attend the funeral, including those eligible to vote in the upcoming conclave to elect the next pope.
The date of the conclave is expected to be announced the following week.
However, it is the arrival of state delegations from more than 130 countries that has caused the greatest organizational challenge for the authorities.
The influx of world leaders - including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and heir to throne Prince William, Argentinian President Javier Milei and UN chief António Guterres - has entailed an unprecedented deployment of police, military and other security entities.
Security precautions around the Vatican have been boosted for days and a no-fly zone is in place, with the Italian special forces also securing St Peter's Square with drone defence equipment.
Some 250,000 mourners were estimated to have paid their respects to the pontiff during the three days he lay in state in a simple wood coffin, which was sealed on Friday night.
The security measures were to be stepped up again for the funeral service on Saturday. Snipers, dog squads, bomb disposal teams, special forces on the Tiber River and other units will be deployed to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
25 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Latest: Iran launches retaliatory strikes on Israel, killing at least 3 people
Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on Israel into Saturday morning, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear program and its armed forces. Israel's assault used warplanes, as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists. Iran's U.N. ambassador said 78 people were killed and more than 320 wounded in the attacks. Israel said the barrage was necessary before Iran got any closer to building an atomic weapon, although experts and the U.S. government have assessed that Tehran was not actively working on such a weapon before the strikes. It also threw talks between the United States and Iran over an atomic accord into disarray days before the two sides were set to meet Sunday. ___ Iran's Foreign Ministry calls nuclear talks with US 'meaningless' after Israeli strikes Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman on Saturday called further nuclear talks with the United States 'meaningless' after Israeli strikes on the country, state television said. 'The U.S. did a job that made the talks become meaningless,' Baghaei was quoted as saying. He added that Israel has passed all Iran's red lines by committing a 'criminal act' through its strikes. However, he stopped short of saying the talks were cancelled. The Mizan news agency, which is run by Iran's judiciary, quoted him as saying: 'It is still not clear what we decide about Sunday talks.' Jordan will reopen its airspace to civilian aircraft Jordan will reopen its airspace to civilian aircraft on Saturday morning, its state-run media reported, signaling the Mideast kingdom believes there is no immediate danger of further attacks. Jordan's airspace had seen Iranian drones and missiles cross through it, with Israeli fighter jets likely engaging targets there. The crossfire between Israel and Iran disrupted East-West travel through the Mideast, a key global aviation route. Woman dies in missile strike in Tel Aviv, hospital says A spokesperson for Beilinson Hospital in Tel Aviv said a woman was killed in an Iranian missile strike, bringing the total number of fatalities in the barrages from Iran to three. The hospital also treated seven people who were wounded in the strike early Saturday. Israel's Fire and Rescue Services said a projectile hit a building in the city. Israel's paramedic service says 2 people killed when missile hit central Israel Israel's paramedic service Magen David Adom says an Iranian missile struck near homes in central Israel early Saturday morning, killing two people and injuring 19 others. Israel's Fire and Rescue service said four homes were severely damaged. UN chief calls for escalation to stop, saying 'peace and diplomacy must prevail' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel and Iran to halt their attacks on one another, while calling for diplomacy. 'Israeli bombardment of Iranian nuclear sites. Iranian missile strikes in Tel Aviv. Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail,' Guterres wrote on X on Saturday. Iranian media reports a fire at Tehran's airport Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency is reporting a fire at Tehran's Mehrabad International Airport, posting a video on X of a column of smoke and orange flames rising from what the outlet said was the airport. A handful of minor injuries reported from second wave of Iranian missiles Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv said it has treated seven people hurt by the second Iranian barrage; six had light injuries and the seventh was moderately wounded. Iran fires a second wave of missiles at Israel Sirens and the boom of explosions, possibly from Israeli interceptors, could be heard in the sky over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv early Saturday. AP journalists in Tel Aviv could see what appeared to be at least two Iranian missiles hit the ground, but there was no immediate word of casualties. The Israeli military said another long-range Iranian missile attack was taking place and urged civilians, already rattled by the first wave of projectiles, to head to shelter. Around three dozen people were wounded by that first wave. The Iranian outlet Nour News, which has close links with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said a fresh wave was being launched. Iranian air defenses are firing against Israeli attacks The sound of explosions and Iranian air defense systems firing at targets was echoing across the center of the capital, Tehran, shortly after midnight on Saturday.
32 minutes ago
2 women marry in Mexico's embassy in Guatemala fueling a debate over same-sex marriage
GUATEMALA CITY -- Two Mexican women were married inside the grounds of Mexico's embassy in Guatemala on Friday, sparking anger in a nation that doesn't recognize same-sex marriage and debate over diplomatic sovereignty. The ceremony held in the embassy gardens was intended to celebrate Pride Month, which is celebrated every June, and the consulate said the marriage marked a step toward inclusion, respect and equality for all. "We celebrate love without borders," wrote the embassy in a post on the social media platform X. 'This is the first civil wedding of a same-sex couple at the Embassy of Mexico in Guatemala. It's a right granted to all individuals when both are Mexican citizens.' Shortly after, the ceremony sparked an outcry among conservative politicians in Guatemala, a largely Catholic country and one of a handful in Latin America that still doesn't recognize same-sex marriages. While such marriages aren't explicitly prohibited, Guatemalan law only refers to unions between a man and a woman. Allan Rodríguez, the head of the VAMOS party bloc and ally of former president Alejandro Giammattei, was among those to reject the wedding, writing in a statement that 'although the act may be protected under external jurisdictions, it clearly contradicts Guatemala's current legal framework.' According to the congressman, the properties where embassies are located 'are not foreign territory; they merely enjoy diplomatic privileges" and therefore are not a part of the Mexican state. He claimed considering them as such would "violate constitutional principles of sovereignty, territorial unity, and the rule of law.' Rodríguez, a former president of Congress, is sanctioned by the United States for obstructing anti-corruption efforts and undermining democracy in Guatemala. The office of progressive President Bernardo Arévalo said that under international law embassies like Mexico's "have territorial immunity and operate under the jurisdiction of the state they represent.' 'In this case, it is an activity carried out by the Mexican Consulate in Guatemala and aimed at Mexican citizens. Therefore, it is exclusively the responsibility of the Government of Mexico, through its diplomatic representation, to comment or speak on the matter," the embassy statement said. Still, debate only continued on, with Elmer Palencia, a congressman for the VALOR party, created by the daughter of a former dictator, called the marriage, 'not an act of inclusion, but a provocation.' "Out of respect for the host country, Mexico should refrain from that narrative. Guatemalan sovereignty and social institutions deserve that respect,' he said. Constitutional lawyer Edgar Ortíz contradicted the conservative politicians, saying the marriage doesn't violate Guatemala's sovereignty and complies with the Vienna Convention, which establishes that what happens on diplomatic premises 'are not subject to the host state's jurisdiction.' He noted that Guatemala's constitution establishes that the country will govern following international principles. 'In no way are Guatemala's laws being altered; the effects of this marriage will occur in Mexico, which does recognize same-sex marriage,' he said. 'Rather," he added, 'it is the Guatemalan lawmakers who are violating sovereignty, by interfering in Mexico's affairs and trying to tell them what they can or cannot do. That seems far more discourteous.'
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Protesters rally against ICE in Otay Mesa, Oceanside ahead of ‘No Kings' day
OTAY MESA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Contingents of protesters gathered outside the Otay Mesa Detention Center and in Oceanside on Friday, calling for an end to recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Holding signs that read 'Immigrants make America great,' and 'ICE melts under pressure,' the demonstrators at both edges of the county marched in pedestrian pathways to voice their opposition to the ratcheted up immigration enforcement seen across the nation in recent weeks. In Otay Mesa, the demonstrators made their way to the main entrance road into the facility, where they strung together trash cans to block it off. Protesters were seen allowing what appeared to be civilian cars through the makeshift barricade. Connect with us: Free Streaming TV app | Newsletters | Mobile app | Latest stories The rallies are an amuse-bouche of sorts to Saturday's highly-anticipated 'No Kings' protests, in which hundreds of thousands of people across the country are expected to gather across the country to voice their opposition to President Donald Trump's policies. More than 1,500 cities in all 50 states are scheduled to have a demonstration as part of the movement, including one in almost every city in San Diego County. Organizers say the rallies are intended to contrast a planned military parade in Washington, D.C. on the same day, ostensibly to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and Flag Day. Saturday is also Trump's 79th birthday. However, immigration is likely to be a focal point of the demonstrations, fueled by Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines to quell unrest in Los Angeles after a series of raids targeting undocumented immigrants at their jobs and on city streets. These immigration raids, which have led to the arrest of dozens, some of whom had legal residency or other documentation, were also motivation for the dozens of demonstrators in Oceanside and Otay Mesa Friday. Similar enforcement actions were carried out in the city of Oceanside, according to police, but details about what they entailed remain few. Oceanside Police won't assist immigration enforcement due to state law For many San Diegans, the immigration enforcement actions of recent weeks have been marked by a high-profile, militarized raid at the popular Italian restaurant, Buona Forchetta, in South Park late last month. At least two of the restaurant's workers were taken into ICE custody following the action, which federal officials said was taken based on a tip that the restaurant employed 19 people — or more than half its workforce — without proper documentation. 'I've got cousins, I've got brothers, I've got people that I don't even know where they're at right now. There's people missing, there's children missing,' one protester at the Otay Mesa Detention Facility told FOX 5/KUSI Friday. 'It's important that together as a people, we stand up.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
