250,000 pay respect to Pope Francis as world leaders gather for funeral amid tight Vatican security

Around 250,000 people visited St. Peter’s Basilica over three days to pay their respects to Pope Francis, the Vatican announced on Friday, as public viewing concluded and global leaders began arriving for his funeral.

Among the final visitors was French President Emmanuel Macron, with total attendance surpassing the 195,000 who came to honor Pope Benedict XVI after his passing in 2013.

“What a great man! He loved everyone, every religion,” AFP quoted 53-year-old Italian Igho Felici after viewing Francis’s coffin.

“I had to be here,” he added.

All day long, large crowds filled Via della Conciliazione — the broad avenue leading to St. Peter’s Basilica — as pilgrims and tourists blended with Italians taking advantage of the April 25 public holiday.

Pope Francis lies in a simple wooden coffin, dressed in a red chasuble, white mitre, and black shoes, a rosary entwined around his fingers. The coffin is set to be closed in a private ceremony at 8:00 pm.

Security has been significantly tightened around St. Peter’s, with drone activity restricted, snipers positioned on rooftops, and fighter jets on alert. Authorities said additional checkpoints will be in place by Friday night.

Global tributes

The Catholic Church’s first Latin American pope died on Monday aged 88, less than a month after spending weeks in hospital fighting severe pneumonia.

“It was like saying goodbye to a father” who “loved me and will continue to love me as and more than before,” said Filipa Castronovo, 76, an Italian nun.

The pontiff, who had long suffered failing health, defied doctors’ orders by making a public appearance on Easter Sunday, the most important moment in the Catholic calendar.

It was his last public appearance.

Condolences have flooded in from around the world for the Jesuit, an energetic reformer who championed those on the fringes of society in his 12 years as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

He used his last speech to rail against those who stir up “contempt… towards the vulnerable, the marginalised, and migrants”.

“It’s impressive to see all these people,” French cardinal Francois-Xavier Bustillo said of the queueing crowds, describing Francis as “a man of the people.

“It’s a beautiful response, a beautiful embrace of his ministry, of his pontificate,” he added.

The Vatican has said more than 130 foreign delegations are confirmed for the funeral, including Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Britain’s Prince William, many of whom began arriving early on Friday morning.

Trump is expected to arrive on Friday evening for a visit of less than 24 hours, his first foreign trip of his second term.

Accompanied by his wife Melania, Trump will face many foreign leaders but no meetings have been announced.

The presence of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky was in doubt after he said he may miss the funeral due to important “military meetings” following a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv.

Selfie ban

On Thursday the Vatican banned people from taking photos inside the basilica, a move that eased the queue. It came after some mourners took selfies with the coffin.

After the funeral, Francis’s coffin will be driven at a walking pace for burial at his favourite church, Rome’s papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

The hearse will pass down Rome’s Fori Imperiali – where the city’s ancient temples lie – and past the Colosseum, according to officials.

Big screens will be set up along the route on which to watch the ceremony, according to Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who estimated the crowds at around 200,000.

Francis was a champion of the underdog, and a group of “poor and needy” will be at Santa Maria Maggiore to welcome the coffin, the Vatican said.

Francis will be interred in the ground, his simple tomb marked with just one word: Franciscus.

People will be able to visit the tomb from Sunday morning, as all eyes turn to the process of choosing Francis’s successor.

Early May conclave possible

Cardinals from around the world have been returning to Rome for the funeral and the election of a new pope.

They have been meeting every day to agree the next steps, but have yet to announce a date for the conclave.

Luxembourg’s Jean-Claude Hollerich, a Jesuit who was a close adviser to Francis, said the conclave would likely begin on May 5 or 6.

This is right after the nine days of mourning declared by the Holy See, which ends on May 4.

Only those under the age of 80 - currently some 135 cardinals - are eligible to vote.

Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was number two to Francis, is the favourite, according to British bookmakers William Hill.

They put him ahead of Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle, the Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Manila, followed by Ghana’s Cardinal Peter Turkson, and Matteo Zuppi, the Archbishop of Bologna.

Who’s attending?

World leaders and dignitaries from around the globe are set to gather in Rome on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, marking one of the most significant diplomatic assemblies in recent memory.

According to the Vatican, over 50 heads of state, a dozen royals, and top representatives from major international institutions will attend the ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Among them are US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, King Felipe VI of Spain, and Prince William representing the United Kingdom.

Leaders from across the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region will be present, underscoring Pope Francis’s global influence and the deep respect he commanded as the head of the Catholic Church.

From Argentina’s President Javier Milei to India’s President Droupadi Murmu, and from Kenya’s President William Ruto to King Abdullah II of Jordan, the diverse presence reflects Francis’s legacy as a bridge-builder and voice for the marginalised.

The full list includes presidents, prime ministers, royals, and senior religious figures, all united in paying tribute to a pope who reshaped the Church’s global role during his 12-year papacy.

With inputs from agencies