How to watch Pope Francis' funeral procession as world mourns Vatican leader
Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88, was laid to rest Saturday with a funeral service and procession that melded Catholic Church tradition with some of Francis' humble personal wishes. The ceremony at the Vatican began at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern, 1 a.m. Pacific), and you can now watch the full video here on CBS News.
Church leaders and a long list of dignitaries and heads of state, including President Trump and former President Joe Biden, attended the funeral, along with a crowd of thousands of the faithful in St. Peter's Square.
The funeral Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals.
A procession then carried the pontiff's coffin to his final resting place, a fifth-century church about 3 miles away that held special meaning for him. In his last will and testament, he requested that he be buried not at the Vatican but at the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) in Rome, where he went to pray before and after each of his journeys abroad.
"The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus," he wrote. Unlike other popes, his tomb will not bear any mention of his papacy — only the name he chose to honor St. Francis of Assisi.
Where can you stream Pope Francis' funeral?
Full coverage of the funeral service streamed live on CBS News and can be watched in the video player above. Download the free CBS News app to watch on your mobile or streaming device. You can also watch on Paramount+.
Will there be a replay of Pope Francis' funeral?
The full funeral service for Pope Francis replayed on CBS News 24/7 after live coverage concluded at about 7:30 a.m. Eastern. You can watch the full video the player above.
What time did Pope Francis' funeral start?
The funeral began at 10 a.m. local time Saturday at the Vatican, which is 4 a.m. Eastern, 1 a.m. Pacific.
How long did Pope Francis' funeral last?
The funeral service at St. Peter's was expected to last around an hour and a half, but it actually ran longer, clocking in at a little over two hours, followed by a procession to the church where Pope Francis will be buried. The procession of the popemobile carrying the coffin was expected to take about 30 minutes. Then another, shorter service took place there before the interment.
The funeral for his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in 2022, lasted about two hours. Before that, the 2005 funeral for Pope John Paul II ran more than two and a half hours.
What's the schedule for Pope Francis' funeral procession?
The simple wooden coffin carrying the pope was brought in a procession to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning from his residence at Casa Santa Marta, where he died. For the next three days, he lay in state as crowds waited hours in line to file past and pay their respects.
Saturday morning, the funeral Mass took place outside St. Peter's Basilica. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, presided over the funeral liturgy and delivered the homily. "At the end of the Eucharistic Celebration, the Ultimo commendatio and Valedictio will take place," the Vatican says, referring to the concluding prayer and farewell remarks where Francis will be formally entrusted to God.
Following the funeral Mass, the coffin of Pope Francis was transported from St. Peter's in Vatican City to the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome for interment. Crowds lined the streets of Rome to catch a glimpse and pay their final respects as it slowly drove past.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as the camerlengo (chamberlain) is one of the highest ranking Vatican officials, presided over the burial rite.
When will the papal conclave begin?
The date of the papal conclave — the gathering of cardinals to choose the next pope — has not yet been announced, but by church rules it must begin 15 to 20 days after a pope's death. That would put the start of the upcoming conclave in the first or second week of May.
