After three days of lying in state, the Pope’s coffin will be sealed this evening ahead of his funeral tomorrow, as world leaders start arriving in Rome to pay their respects.
Friday 25 April 2025 18:25, UK
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By Lisa Holland, Sky Correspondent in Vatican City
It’s the day before the funeral of Pope Francis.
With such a momentous occasion so close in St Peter’s Square we see lovely spontaneous acts of spirituality. Cloaked in black and purple we notice a senior member of the Catholic Church approach a group of medics and bless them.
With potentially a million people planning to be close to the Vatican for the funeral, the medics play a vital role in supporting the crowd on what is likely to be a hot day.
It turns out the blessing we witness is being conducted by the Archbishop of Warsaw. A sign of the growing numbers of very senior figures joining the world leaders flying in.
But as the day progressed, the easy atmosphere gave way to a growing sense of jeopardy amongst people queuing to pass by the open coffin of Pope Francis in St Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects.
It was a race against time for some of those we met in the crowd. One woman had spent the last three days travelling – after setting off from Ecuador when she heard the Pope had passed away. She had just arrived and dashed to join the queue.
Another woman had just landed in Rome from the UK with just a short time until the doors of the Basilica close.
It’s just gone 7pm in Rome, and the doors have now closed to members of the public at St Peter’s Basilica.
It marks the end to three days in which Pope Francis’s open coffin has been lying in state.
In its most recent update, the Vatican has said at least 250,000 people from around the world have been to pay their respects to the pontiff since Wednesday (see previous post).
The Vatican has said around 250,000 people entered St Peter’s Basilica over the past three days to pay respects to Pope Francis.
Earlier, we told you how that number was estimated to have stood at 150,000 (see 4.07pm post).
St Peter’s Basilica has now closed to members of the public, with the pontiff’s coffin to be sealed in a service this evening.
We’ve been telling you about the final mourners filing into St Peter’s Basilica to see the Pope’s open casket before his funeral tomorrow.
French President Emmanuel Macron has just arrived to pay his respects alongside his wife Brigitte.
Security is being ramped up at the Vatican ahead of Pope Francis’s funeral.
Sources have told our team that there will be 4,000 police officers in charge of security tomorrow.
It’s worth noting that figure doesn’t include army personnel, emergency services and around 4,000 volunteers.
Our Europe correspondent Adam Parsons is standing near the end of the queue outside St Peter’s Basilica.
It’s the final hour for mourners to see the Pope lying in state, with entrance to the queue now closed.
He points to the end of the queue and says “these are the last people who will see the Pope before the doors are closed”.
“People are still filing in as they have been for three days now, but in just under one hour’s time, those doors will be closed.”
Take a look at his report below.
Donald Trump is among a host of world leaders travelling to Rome ahead of Pope Francis’s funeral tomorrow.
We’ve seen the US president board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland this afternoon, after he took the opportunity to speak to the media and give a tribute to the pontiff.
He told reporters that Pope Francis was a “good man” and “he loved the world” as well as saying he was a “fantastic kind of a guy”.
Trump added that the day will be “very interesting” and said he will leave Rome tomorrow night.
As we’ve been reporting, the Vatican has said at least 150,000 people have been to pay their respects to Pope Francis since Wednesday.
The pontiff’s body has been lying in state inside St Peter’s Basilica, where his coffin will be sealed this evening.
Take a look at the pictures below as tens of thousands have paid their respects to the Pope today ahead of his funeral tomorrow.
Tens of thousands of mourners have continued filing into St Peter’s Basilica for the last opportunity to see Pope Francis’s open coffin ahead of his funeral tomorrow.
The body of the 88-year-old pontiff was brought to St Peter’s in a procession on Wednesday morning, and has been lying in state ever since.
The Vatican has said at least 150,000 people from all over the world have bid farewell to the Pope.
At his request, his coffin was placed low to the ground – breaking for the first time the Vatican’s tradition to place the body of the pontiff on a catafalque.
Ahead of the Pope’s funeral tomorrow, we’ll see his coffin sealed this evening during a liturgical rite held in St Peter’s Basilica, where his body has been lying in state.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, will preside with several cardinals and Holy See officials also in attendance.
The ritual will see a bag of coins minted during Francis’s time as Pope placed in his coffin, as well as an account of his papacy which will be read aloud.
The moment will bring the end of public viewing in St Peter’s to a close, with the Vatican saying at least 150,000 mourners from around the world have been to pay their respects.
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