Pope Francis to lie in state until Saturday funeral attended by world leaders

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In pictures: Faithful pray, hold vigils and attend mass in honour of the late pope

Mourners began gathering to pray and attend Catholic services to honour and remember the late Pope Francis.

Faithful attend a rosary prayer for the late Pope Francis, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Tuesday April 22, 2025. (Bernat Armangue, AP)

An outdoor screen displays the portrait of Pope Francis as Catholic believers attend a Mass in his honor at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, where he held a Mass in September last year, in Dili, East Timor, on April 22, 2025. (Yasuyoshi Chiba, AFP).

Parishioners pray during a mass for Pope Francis at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson, AP).

New York City Mayor Eric Adams attends a mass for Pope Francis at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson, AP).

Faithful pray during a service for the late Pope Francis at St. Alexander's Rome Catholic Cathedral in Kyiv Ukraine, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Efrem Lukatsky, AP).

Priests pray during a requiem mass for the late Pope Francis, at the St. George Cathedral in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Hussein Malla, AP).

Christians attend prayer services for the late Pope Francis at St. Anthony Church in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (K.M. Chaudary, AP).

Spain's royals to attend Pope Francis funeral, without PM Sanchez

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will join world leaders attending Pope Francis's funeral at the Vatican on Saturday, the royal palace told AFP.

Addressing a Madrid reception on Tuesday, Felipe said the 88-year-old Argentine pontiff transcended the Catholic Church to become "an enormous ethical beacon of our world, of our time".

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will not accompany them, Justice Minister Felix Bolanos told reporters after signing a book of condolence for Francis in Madrid.

The Spanish delegation headed by the royals "will be made up of first deputy prime minister Maria Jesus Montero, second deputy prime minister Yolanda Diaz, the leader of the opposition Alberto Nunez Feijoo, and myself", said Bolanos.

Reformer or traditionalist: Who's to succeed Pope Francis?

As cardinals from the four corners of the earth converge on Rome to pick a new pope, FRANCE 24's The Debate asks guests whether the faithful want a reformer or a traditionalist? Watch below.

Zelensky says wants to meet Trump at pontiff's funeral

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said he wanted to meet US President Donald Trump at Pope Francis's funeral in the Vatican later this week. 

"Yes, I would like to, I am ready. We are always ready to meet with our partners from the United States," he said, answering a journalist's question during a media briefing. 

Pope's body lying in state at a private viewing at the Vatican

Ukrainian Catholics express mixed feelings about pontiff's death

Some in Ukraine are still angry with the pontiff for advocating in 2024 to negotiate with Russia to end the war.

Watch FRANCE 24's report to learn more about Ukrainian reactions to Pope Francis's death.

Francis remembered as the 'pope of migrants'

He was hailed as the 'Pope of migrants' for his steadfast spiritual support of those driven from their homelands to endure perilous escapes from poverty, violence and oppression.

Stranded a stone's throw from the Mexico-US border, 28-year-old Colombian Yulieth Cuellar is one of countless tired, poor and huddled masses today demonised by politicians in Washington and beyond.

"He prayed a lot for us migrants" said Cuellar, recalling the late 88-year-old pontiff in a Ciudad Juarez soup kitchen run by the church.

"His prayers touched us to the core" she said.

It was in Ciudad Juarez in 2016 that Francis climbed a ramp facing the Rio Grande that separates the city from El Paso, Texas, laid flowers under a black cross and blessed crowds of migrants.

Francis was eager to see the border barrier with his own eyes, Jose Guadalupe Torres, bishop of Ciudad Juarez, recalled.

When he saw it, he said: "I have seen the promised land where neither milk nor honey flows," Torres said during a mass in honor of Francis.

The faithful 'waiting to see what happens next'

“The mood now (among the faithful) is waiting to see what happens next ... Here in Rome, a lot of thought is going into, Who's going to be taking the pope’s place?” FRANCE 24’s Seema Gupta reports from the Vatican.

Could another progressive become the next pope?

Following the death of Pope Francis, who was known for championing progressive causes, the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church will gather next month to elect a new pope in the Sistine Chapel. Speculation over who could become the next pope is centring on some key figures within the Vatican leadership. Watch FRANCE 24's report on who is most likely to succeed Pope Francis. 

'Thank you for bringing me back to the square', the pope said of his Easter Sunday visit to St Peter's Square

Among the final words of the late Pope Francis was a "thank you" to his personal healthcare assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, for encouraging him to take one last ride in the popemobile to visit crowds gathered at St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday.

Christians from around the world pay homage to Pope Francis

Pope Francis's death inspired spontaneous tributes and prayers from all Christians all over the world.

Christians shower flower petals in front of a portrait of late Pope Francis, in Amritsar, India, on April 22, 2025, a day after his death. © Narinder Nanu, AFP

Myanmar Christians attend a prayer for Pope Francis at St. Mary Cathedral Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Yangon, Myanmar. © Thein Zaw, AP

Britain's Prince William to attend Pope Francis's funeral

Prince William will represent Britain's royal family at the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday, Kensington Palace said Tuesday.

The heir to the throne will attend the service "on behalf" of King Charles III, the palace said, in a decision in keeping with modern tradition.

Tears, memories as fervently Catholic East Timor mourns Pope Francis

More than 1,500 people packed into a cathedral in East Timor and an overspill of hundreds swarmed outside as one of the world's most devoutly Roman Catholic nations mourned the passing of Pope Francis.

Francis received a rock-star reception in the half-island nation last September, when nearly half of the country's population turned out for what was the first visit by a pontiff in three decades.

The former Portuguese colony of 1.3 million people, of whom 97% are Catholic, have begun seven days of mourning, with flags at half-mast to demonstrate what its government said was a deep sense of gratitude to a "great leader of the Catholic Church".

A Catholic faithful wears a T-shirt with a portrait of Pope Francis, as Catholics gather to attend a special Mass following news of his death, at Balide Church in Dili, East Timor, on April 21, 2025. © Valentino Dariell de Sousa, AFP

Philippine typhoon victims remember day Pope Francis brought hope

Fourteen months after the deadliest storm in Philippine history, Pope Francis stood on a rain-swept stage to deliver a message of hope to the battered town of Tacloban.

It was desperately needed, said Mayor Alfred Romualdez on Tuesday, a day after the pontiff died in Rome.

Already in his late 70s, the pope had insisted on making the January 2015 trip to the central Philippines despite an approaching storm.

"He didn't have to do that. He didn't have to come here in bad weather. He could have waited for three or four more days," said Romualdez.

Pope Francis (R) wears a plastic poncho as he waves to well wishers after a mass in Tacloban on January 17, 2015. © Johannes Eisele, AFP

Jerusalem patriarch hails pope's commitment to Gaza

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, hailed Pope Francis's support for Gazans and engagement with the small Catholic community in the war-battered Palestinian territory.

The Catholic church's highest authority in the region, who is considered a potential successor to the late pontiff, Pizzaballa told journalists in Jerusalem that "Gaza represents, a little bit, all what was the heart of his pontificate".

Pope Francis advocated peace and "closeness to the poor... and to the neglected one", said the patriarch.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, gestures during an interview at the patriarchate headquarters in the old city of Jerusalem on April 22, 2025. © Menahem Kahana, AFP

Latin America pays tribute to Pope Francis

From Buenos Aires to Havana, passing through Mexico, the faithful of Latin America are mourning their Pope after the announcement of the pontiff’s death.

Masses are being held across the continent to honor his memory, and national days of mourning have been declared. Click on the video below for more information.

Argentine president to attend pope's funeral

Argentine President Javier Milei will join other world leaders at the funeral in Rome on Saturday of his compatriot Pope Francis, who died at the age of 88, the government announced.

The pope had a delicate relationship with politics in his homeland, but Milei hailed his "goodness and wisdom" after the pontiff died on Monday.

Death of Pope Francis: Hollywood pays tribute to 'a remarkable human being'

The death of Pope Francis has prompted sadness among many of Hollywood’s leading lights, with director Martin Scorsese paying tribute to "a remarkable human being". FRANCE 24's Olivia Salazar-Winspear takes us through some of the reactions to the pope's passing from the world of cinema.

Africans hope for first Black pope in modern history

Africans are hoping one of their own could become the first Black pope in modern history and build on Francis's legacy of championing the developing world, though the chances of that happening appear slim.

A continent where religion permeates most aspects of private and public life, Africa is where the Roman Catholic Church is growing fastest, according to Vatican figures published last month.

African Catholics attending services honouring Francis after his death on Monday said a Black pope was long overdue.

"To have a Black pope would revive the Christian faith in Africa and change people's views of Africa, by showing that an African can hold this office," said Charles Yapi, a Catholic priest in Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan.