Pope Francis’ funeral set for Saturday in Rome, public viewing begins Wednesday

Cardinals have taken their first decisions following the death of Pope Francis, setting Saturday as the date for his funeral and allowing ordinary faithful to begin paying their final respects starting on Wednesday, when his casket is brought into St. Peter’s Basilica.

The cardinals met for the first time on Tuesday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world grieving history’s first Latin American pope.

The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St. Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

US President Donald Trump has announced he and first lady Melania Trump plan to attend Saturday’s funeral, Argentine President Javier Milei is also expected.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose foreign travel is limited by an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, will not attend Pope Francis’s funeral, the Kremlin said Tuesday.

“No. The president has no such plans,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.