The body of Pope Francis was moved Wednesday morning to St. Peter’s Basilica for three days of public mourning for an Argentine pontiff remembered for his humble style, concern for the poor and insistent prayers for peace.
The public viewing is largely for ordinary Catholics to grieve the 88-year-old pope, who died Monday after suffering a stroke.
The basilica will be kept open until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday to allow the faithful to mourn. The public mourning period will end on Friday at 7 p.m. local time.
Cardinals met at the Vatican on Tuesday to schedule Francis’ funeral and burial, plan the conclave to elect his successor and make other decisions about running the Catholic Church.
Over the coming days, tens of thousands of people are expected to pass through the basilica.
Francis’ funeral will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. U.S. President Donald Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump plan to attend, and Argentine President Javier Milei is also expected.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the president’s travel plans during her briefing with reporters on Tuesday. She did not provide details on whether Trump will meet with foreign leaders during the trip, or who might travel with him as part of a U.S. delegation.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said he won’t attend. He is currently on a four-day visit to India.
He said Wednesday that while he was able to see Pope Francis on Easter Sunday during his Vatican visit over the weekend, he didn’t “realize how sick he was” and that he would always remember the pontiff as a “great pastor.”
