Pope Francis funeral latest: Vatican makes final preparations for pontiff’s burial

The Fisherman’s Ring, or Anulus Piscatoris, is a gold ring worn by the pope, signifying his role as the successor of Saint Peter, the fisherman-turned-apostle.

It bears an engraving of Saint Peter casting his nets from a boat, along with the name of the reigning pope.

Traditionally, the ring serves to seal official papal documents — especially apostolic letters — by being pressed into hot wax.

Upon a pope’s death, the ring is ceremonially destroyed, typically with a silver hammer, to mark the end of his pontificate and prevent any misuse or forgery of documents.

A new ring is later made for the succeeding pope.

When a pope dies, the Vatican follows a series of time-honoured rituals to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.

The death is officially confirmed by the Vatican’s health chief and the camerlengo (cardinal chamberlain), currently Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell.

The pope’s body is dressed in white and placed in his private chapel, then later in a coffin dressed in red with his mitre and pallium beside him.

The camerlengo drafts an official death document, secures the pope’s private papers, and seals his living quarters.

One of the most symbolic acts is the ceremonial destruction of the fisherman’s ring with a hammer, marking the end of the pope’s authority and preventing document forgeries.

But other rituals will follow ancient traditions, the Vatican announced, with tens of thousands of mourners to descend on the Vatican and St Peter’s Basilica to say farewell to the Catholic figurehead. More than 50,000 people have already filed through St Peter’s Basilica to pay their final respects to Pope Francis in just the first 12 hours of public viewing.

Below we look at how the service will unfold:

Mourners have sparked outrage after taking selfies with the open casket of Pope Francis.

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church is currently lying in state in St Peter’s Basilica ahead of his funeral this weekend, with tens of thousands of people queueing to pay their respects.

However, some visitors have attracted backlash after uploading selfies to social media with the casket and the Pope’s body in the background.

Other mourners who witnessed their behaviour spoke about their shock.

Janine Venables, a tourist from Wales who paid her respects on Wednesday, told MailOnline: “What did surprise me is the fact that earlier we were told no photos in the Sistine Chapel and here people were getting their phone out and doing selfies with the coffin.”

Vast crowds continue to gather at the Vatican to mourn Pope Francis, whose remains lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Tens of thousands have already paid their respects, leading to viewing hours being extended overnight, and thousands more are anticipated.

Long queues snake through St. Peter’s Square, with mourners patiently waiting for hours to file past Francis’s open coffin.

Around 19,430 people had been to the basilica “to pay homage to Pope Francis”, a Vatican spokesman said on Wednesday evening, less than 12 hours after his coffin was transferred there, and where it will stay until Friday.

As the world prepares to bid farewell to Pope Francis, Rome and the Vatican are being transformed into a fortress.

With 50 heads of state, 10 monarchs, and at least 130 foreign delegations due to attend Saturday’s funeral at St Peter’s Square, Italian and Vatican authorities are enforcing some of the tightest security measures seen in recent memory.

A no-fly zone has been declared, drones grounded, snipers positioned on rooftops, and fighter jets placed on standby.

Streets surrounding the Vatican are under strict control, with law enforcement agencies coordinating to manage the expected influx of hundreds of thousands of mourners.

Security officials are not only preparing for crowd management but also diplomatic sensitivities, as world leaders — including Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, Javier Milei, and Prince William — arrive in Rome.

The head of Pope Francis’s medical team has revealed new details about the pontiff’s final moments.

Francis died without undue suffering, and medical intervention could not have saved him, Dr Alfieri said.

He recounted receiving an urgent call around 5.30am on Monday, summoning him to the Vatican. Arriving about 20 minutes later, he found the Pope conscious but unresponsive.

“I entered his rooms and he (Francis) had his eyes open,” Dr. Alfieri told Corriere della Sera.

The Vatican is finalising preparations for Pope Francis’s funeral, scheduled for Saturday in St Peter’s Square, following his death at 88 on Monday from pneumonia.

Tens of thousands have paid their respects during his lying in state. His coffin will be sealed Friday evening in a ceremony led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell.

Over 130 foreign delegations, including 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs — among them Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, Prince William, and Argentina’s president Javier Milei — are expected to attend.

Security is tight, with snipers, drones blocked, and fighter jets on standby.

After the funeral, his coffin will be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore, marked simply as Franciscus.

Ireland’s postal service offers to send Mass or sympathy cards to the Vatican for free to people who wish to pay their respects to Pope Francis.

Post offices in Ireland have received queries from the public looking for advice on what was the correct address and stamp to use. In response, An Post said it would offer the service for free and send cards to the Vatican from Ireland in one batch in three weeks’ time.

An Post said: “Cards may be posted to the following PO Box for free until May 14 and An Post will ensure they are delivered directly to the Vatican: ‘Cards to the Vatican, PO Box 13812, FREEPOST, Dublin 1’.”

Mourners have criticised fellow visitors to St Peter’s Basilica for using their phones to take selfies alongside the body of the late Pope as he lies in state.

Janine Venables, a 53-year-old from Pontypridd told the MailOnline: “What did surprise me is the fact that earlier we were told no photos in the Sistine Chapel and here people were getting their phone out and doing selfies with the coffin. I did think that was a bit in poor taste and I’m surprised no one stopped them.”

Another visitor was reported as complaining that people had been “ignoring warnings” and taking photos instead of paying their respects properly, adding that it was “sad to see such disrespectful behaviour”.

The outlet cited a Vatican source as saying: “It would be good if people could try and remember where they are and have a little respect but there’s little else that can be done.”