Africa-Press – Eritrea. Pope Francis’s funeral will take place on Saturday in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican has confirmed, with hundreds of thousands expected to attend.
The head of the Catholic Church died of a stroke on Monday, aged 88, less than 24 hours after leading an Easter address. He had been in poor health after recently battling double pneumonia.
A host of world leaders and royals – including Sir Keir Starmer, Donald Trump, the Prince of Wales, and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, home to the biggest Catholic population in the world – have confirmed their attendance.
Thousands of mourners have already flocked to Vatican City, carrying flowers, crosses and candles and reciting prayers.
Who is attending the funeral?
Huge crowds are anticipated on Saturday, with as many as 250,000 people expected to attend the funeral.
Many heads of state and royals have confirmed their attendance, including Prince William, US President Donald Trump, Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Other political figures who have announced they will attend include:
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Polish President Andrzej Duda
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, Francis’s hom country
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
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