Vatican releases pictures of Pope Francis lying in state ahead of funeral

The images were taken in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, his residence at the Vatican

​The Vatican has released images of Pope Francis in his open coffin, adorned in a red robe with the papal mitre on his head and a rosary in his hand.

The images were captured in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, his residence at the Vatican.

“Death is not the end but the start of something,” the pontiff wrote shortly before his death, in the preface of a book by Cardinal Angelo Scola which is due to be published soon.

The body of Pope Francis is placed in an open casket during the rite of the declaration of death (Vatican Media)

The first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church died on Easter Monday aged 88, after suffering from double pneumonia in recent weeks.

He died following a stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican said.

The pictures were released as Cardinals met this morning to discuss the funeral - which dozens of world leaders and hundreds of thousands of worshippers are expected to attend.

So far, Argentinian President Milei, US President Trump and First Lady Trump, French President Macron and Ukrainian President Zelensky have all confirmed their attendance.

Pope Francis’ final wishes expressed that he wanted to buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, rather than the usual St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican (Vatican Media)

After Tuesday’s meeting, the Vatican confirmed the funeral will be held on Saturday morning in St Peter’s square, and will mark the first of nine days of mounring.

Public viewing in St. Peter's Basilica is set for Wednesday before the funeral, after a procession will take his casket from his Vatican residence, the Vatican also confirmed.

Pope Francis’ final wishes expressed that he wanted to buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, rather than the usual St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

His will specified a request to be buried "in the ground, without particular decoration" but with the inscription of his papal name in Latin: Franciscus.

Pope Francis’s funeral will be held on Saturday (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

The cardinals are also believed to be discussing when the conclave selecting the next pope will be held, and where the 135 Cardinals travelling to the Vatican for the conclave will be lodged.

Elsewhere, mourning has already started in chapels, cathedrals and churches worldwide. People teared up as they prayed, bells tolled, and flags flew at half staff.

Soccer matches in Italy and Argentina were also suspended in honor of the Argentine pope who was a lifelong fan of the San Lorenzo soccer club.

“This voice, filled with compassion and mercy and righteous indignation, is now silent,” the UK’s most senior member of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, told the BBC.

Pope Francis, the first pope from Latin America, led the 1.4 billion-member church since 2013.