April 26, 2025 10:46 AM

Pope Francis’ funeral held today; World leaders gather in Vatican to pay final respects

In a profound display of global mourning, world leaders, royalty, and religious dignitaries convened at St. Peter’s Square on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88 following a stroke. The funeral ceremony began at 10:00 a.m. local time (1:30 p.m. IST) in the historic Baroque plaza before St. Peter’s Basilica. Ahead of the burial, the Pope’s body was placed in a cypress-wood coffin, which will be encased in two additional coffins made of diffe...