As it happened: Coffin of Pope Francis sealed after 250,000 pay homage to head of Catholic Church
Pope Francis’s coffin was sealed after a quarter of million people visited the late spiritual leader, as heads of state fly in to attend Saturday’s ceremony in St Peter’s Square
The coffin of Pope Francis has been sealed in a private ceremony held by the Vatican ahead of Saturday’s funeral after 250,000 people farewelled the pontiff this week as he lay in state.
Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell presided at the Rite of Sealing of the Coffin, which was attended by several Cardinals and Holy See officials.
Controversy was also stirred after a retired US cardinal who has faced accusations of mishandling sexual abuse cases was chosen to help seal the coffin and entomb the pontiff’s remains during the burial rites.
Advocates for Catholic clergy sexual abuse victims criticised the appointment of Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011, for the ceremonial role at the Pope’s funeral. Mahony denies any wrongdoing.
World leaders are flying in ahead of the ceremony in St Peter’s Square, with US president Donald Trump among the heads of state attending. Before departing Washington, Trump told reports Pope Francis was a “good man” who “loved the world”.
While Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was also among those due to attend, he cast doubt on his plans on Friday evening due to the ongoing war with Russia, which is also sending a dignitary to the funeral.
Security arrangements ahead of the major event include snipers stationed on rooftops, and fighter jets on standby. Streets surrounding the Vatican are under strict control, with law enforcement agencies coordinating to manage the expected influx of hundreds of thousands of mourners.
Timeline: How Pope Francis’ funeral and the Conclave to select his successor will work
What to expect at Pope Francis’ funeral from Vatican rituals to iron-clad security and world leaders attending
Outrage as mourners take selfies with Pope Francis’ open casket
Pope Francis’s final moments revealed: How doctor knew he was gone, and his last regret
Outrage as mourners take selfies with Pope Francis’ open casket
Mourners have sparked outrage after taking selfies with the open casket of Pope Francis.
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church is currently lying in state in St Peter’s Basilica ahead of his funeral this weekend, with tens of thousands of people queueing to pay their respects.
However, some visitors have attracted backlash after uploading selfies to social media with the casket and the Pope’s body in the background.
Other mourners who witnessed their behaviour spoke about their shock.
Janine Venables, a tourist from Wales who paid her respects on Wednesday, told MailOnline: “What did surprise me is the fact that earlier we were told no photos in the Sistine Chapel and here people were getting their phone out and doing selfies with the coffin.”
What to expect at Pope Francis’ funeral from Vatican rituals to iron-clad security and world leaders attending
Pope Francis has continued to break with traditions even in death, requesting several changes to the ceremony and burial that accompany the passing of a pontiff before he passed away.
But other rituals will follow ancient traditions, the Vatican announced, with tens of thousands of mourners to descend on the Vatican and St Peter’s Basilica to say farewell to the Catholic figurehead. More than 50,000 people have already filed through St Peter’s Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis in just the first 12 hours of public viewing.
The Prince of Wales will join more than 130 foreign dignitaries, including US President Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and Emmanuel Macron at the funeral on Saturday.
Below we look at how the service will unfold:
What to expect at Pope Francis’ funeral from Vatican rituals to iron-clad security
What happens when a pope dies?
When a pope dies, the Vatican follows a series of time-honoured rituals to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.
The death is officially confirmed by the Vatican’s health chief and the camerlengo (cardinal chamberlain), currently Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell.
The pope’s body is dressed in white and placed in his private chapel, then later in a coffin dressed in red with his mitre and pallium beside him.
The camerlengo drafts an official death document, secures the pope’s private papers, and seals his living quarters.
One of the most symbolic acts is the ceremonial destruction of the fisherman’s ring with a hammer, marking the end of the pope’s authority and preventing document forgeries.
What is the Fisherman’s Ring and why is it destroyed after pope’s death?
The Fisherman’s Ring, or Anulus Piscatoris, is a gold ring worn by the pope, signifying his role as the successor of Saint Peter, the fisherman-turned-apostle.
It bears an engraving of Saint Peter casting his nets from a boat, along with the name of the reigning pope.
Traditionally, the ring serves to seal official papal documents — especially apostolic letters — by being pressed into hot wax.
Upon a pope’s death, the ring is ceremonially destroyed, typically with a silver hammer, to mark the end of his pontificate and prevent any misuse or forgery of documents.
A new ring is later made for the succeeding pope.
UK cardinal says Pope's funeral will be a 'masterpiece' in managing 'big egos'
A British cardinal has predicted the funeral will be a “masterpiece” in stage managing “big egos” as world leaders fly in to pay their respects at the funeral of Pope Francis.
The leader of Catholics in England and Wales, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, said organisers of what will be an enormous gathering of well-known names “are geniuses at dealing with these big events”.
The Archbishop of Westminster said the funeral will be “without a doubt another masterpiece of stage management when you consider those state leaders who have high opinions of their importance”.
He added: “In the past, I’ve seen it here over and over again that the combination of Rome and the Holy See, they actually are geniuses at dealing with these big events.
“I think they've been doing it since the emperors ruled Rome – that they know how to deal with big egos. And I think every leader of a nation that comes here on Saturday, will go home reasonably content.”
Watch: JD Vance addresses being one of last people to meet Pope Francis
All bets are off on identity of the next pope, says Vatican expert
A British theologian who spent two years seconded to the Vatican during Francis’s papacy has said that “all bets are off” on who the next Pope could be.
Professor Anna Rowlands, of Durham University, said any predictions are currently based on “pure speculation”, adding: “Genuinely nobody knows ... I think all bets are off.
“And that's partly because the process is genuinely both secret, so it happens in private, but also because the makeup of this College of Cardinals is very different from anyone that’s been here to elect a pope before."
She added: “It's going to be, I think, a surprise conclave, that is totally unpredictable at this point, but I think will produce, potentially, a really interesting candidate who possibly none of us will know.”
Francis was determined to serve church to the very end, says cardinal
Pope Francis was determined to serve the Catholic Church to the very end, a retired Vatican official has said.
“What surprised me was how determined he was to serve the Church and love his people with all his energy, to the very end,” Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re – the ceremonial leader of the College of Cardinals – told Italian daily la Repubblica.
Nearly 130,000 mourners pay final respects to Pope Francis
Since the body of Pope Francis was brought to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, nearly 130,000 people from across the globe have bid farewell to the pontiff as he lies in state, according to the Vatican’s latest figures.
Queues on Friday morning after the basilica reopened for the day were stretching halfway down the main boulevard leading through Rome into the Vatican, Reuters reported.
The Vatican plans to end public viewings at 7pm this evening, ahead of a formal rite to seal the late pope’s coffin.
Outrage as mourners take selfies with Pope Francis’ open casket
Mourners have sparked outrage after taking selfies with the open casket of Pope Francis.
Other mourners who witnessed their behaviour spoke about their shock. Janine Venables, a tourist from Wales who paid her respects on Wednesday, told MailOnline: “What did surprise me is the fact that earlier we were told no photos in the Sistine Chapel and here people were getting their phone out and doing selfies with the coffin.”
The 53-year-old added: “I did think that was a bit in poor taste and, I’m surprised no one stopped them.”
And Londoner Catherine Gilsenan, who paid her respects to the pope, told The Sun: “I was very moved coming so close to Pope Francis but it was awful seeing so many people taking pictures. We kept our phones very firmly in our pockets and would never dream of doing something so distasteful. People had been told not to use selfie sticks but lots ignored the warning.”
Sam Rkaina reports:
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