Vatican and Italy prepare for Pope Francis' funeral: 2,000 police officers to ensure security

Espreso's correspondent in Italy, Oksana Volodymyr, reported the information.

Italian and Vatican security services have launched a large-scale operation ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis, deploying over 2,000 local police officers supported by national security forces. Measures include patrols along the Tiber River, surveillance drones, anti-drone systems, and sniper teams. 

A no-fly zone has been established over Rome, monitored by fighter jets and reinforced with advanced radio jamming systems to counter any aerial threats.

How the funeral will be held

According to Vatican News, the funeral Mass for Pope Francis is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 26. The ceremony is expected to gather around 250 cardinals, along with a significant number of bishops, priests, and members of religious orders.

In accordance with the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis — the official protocol for the funeral of a pope — Saturday’s Mass will be the first of nine consecutive funeral Masses. These will be celebrated daily in St. Peter’s Basilica, concluding on Sunday, May 4.

The funeral liturgy will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals.

The sermon will be followed by prayers of the faithful in French, Arabic, Portuguese, Polish, German, and Chinese. The celebration will be accompanied by the singing of the Sistine Chapel Choir.

According to the spiritual testament of the Bishop of Rome, the coffin with Francis' body will be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. The funeral procession will travel about four kilometers through the streets of the capital at a slow pace.

Upon arrival at the Liberian Basilica, still accompanied by the Sistine Chapel Choir alternating between antiphons and psalms, the coffin will be greeted by the “last ones” — a group of poor and marginalized people who have always held a special place in Pope Francis' heart. It is they who will pay their last respects before the coffin is taken to the altar of St. Mary Major. The burial will be held in private.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo, will affix his seal to the papal casket, as well as the seals of the Prefecture of the Pontifical House, the Department of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, and the Liberian Chapter.

The Pope's remains will be placed in the tomb and sprinkled with holy water. The ceremony is expected to end around 2:00 p.m.

• On Monday, April 21, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88. European and American leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump, expressed their condolences to Catholics following the news of his death. Brazil has declared a week of mourning.
• President Zelenskyy plans to visit Rome to pay his respects and say goodbye to the Pope.