Good morning!

Mairead Maguire here to bring you updates on the fallout of the Pope’s death, as funeral plans become clear and we learn more about who might succeed him.

This morning, the Vatican published a photo and video of Pope Francis in his open coffin.

The images were taken in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, Francis’s residence at the Vatican where he died on Monday, age 88.

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The cardinals met at 8am Irish time. They have confirmed that the funeral of the late pontiff will be held on Saturday at 10am local time. 

Before the cardinals, senior members of the Catholic Church, convene in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave – the secret meeting at which a new pope will be elected.

The Church is now in a period called “sede vacante”, or “the vacant See”.

Newspapers worldwide have used their front pages to remember Pope Francis as a pontiff of the people who strived to change the Catholic Church.

The Irish Independent focused on the Pope’s final message, which he read on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the end of the Easter Sunday mass, less than 24 hours before he died.

“We must use the weapons of peace,” it said, paraphrasing Francis, who consistently called for an end to war in Gaza.

The Washington Post said Francis’s tenure was a “papacy of humility, warmth and mercy”.

The Times of London’s front page said the Pope was “an outsider”, while the Financial Times called him a “modernist”.

A video shared by Vatican News shows Irish Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell presiding over the rite of the ascertainment of death and the placement of the late Pope Francis’ body in the coffin yesterday evening.

Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell presides over the rite of the ascertainment of death and the placement of the late Pope Francis' body in the coffin, which took place on Monday evening in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta. pic.twitter.com/63aPKTW9nD

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 22, 2025

The race for Pope Francis’ successor has begun.

Predicting the outcome of the secretive papal conclave is nearly impossible, as cardinals’ positions often shift with each round of voting and some attempt to sway the results in favour of – or against – certain candidates.

During the 2013 conclave, few foresaw the election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis. 

We have a handy list of the individuals suspected to have a shot at the top job time around.

Dermot Farrell, Archbishop of Dublin, has released a statement on the Pope’s death. 

He quoted 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

“Right to the very end! With everything he had,” Farrell said.

He said Francis led with “profound humility matched with deep conviction”.

“At the end of almost every audience and address, he would assure those present of his prayers, and ask them—with great simplicity—to pray for him.

“His was a life is marked by numerous profound changes. All that he became was rooted in his deep prayer, in his trust in the journey of Jesus, and in his abandonment of himself to the will of God.”

Good afternoon, Muiris Ó Cearbhaill here to take you through the latest updates following the death of his Holiness Pope Francis.

As my colleague Mairead has detailed, Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin has released a statement in the hour following the Pope’s death. In this statement Archbishop Dermot details the humility that Francis was renowned for.

“Throughout his pontificate, he modelled and preached God’s good news of justice, mercy, and forgiveness,” Archbishop Dermot said.

Being the child of Italian immigrants, he added that Francis knew the “hardships facing those forced to leave their homeland”.

Pope Francis speaks to migrants during his visit to the island of Lampedusa, Italy - 8 July 2013. Alamy, file Alamy, file

Archbishop Dermot said that the Pope’s visit to Lampedusa, an island off the Italian coast which has seen many refugees from Africa arrive to, set the tone of his papacy of “compassion, commitment, and action for migrants and those facing disadvantage worldwide”

He also acknowledged Francis’ recognition of the seriousness of the climate crisis and its impact on those less fortunate.

Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Alphonsus Cullinan has also expressed his sadness over the death of Pope Francis.

Bishop Cullinan spoke of his three meetings with the Pope, adding that he “admired his courage” and that Francis had a “great smile”.

He referenced Francis’ humanitarian values and his visits to prisons, hospitals, care-centres, drug rehab units and work for the poor.

“I think Pope Francis has helped the world to remember the poor and to keep in mind those whom society can reject,” Bishop Alphonsus said. “For me he truly was a living example of the saintly man whose name he took.”

Pope Francis lights a candle as he visits the Knock's shrine during his apostolic trip to Ireland - 26 August 2018. Alamy, file Alamy, file

He added: “Now that he has died I can see more clearly what his messages to us were [...] He wanted a Church in which more and more people would play their role in the building up of the Church. 

“He knew what he wanted to achieve but like all human beings he did not achieve them all [...] Pope Francis, seemed to me had no problem with saying and doing unpopular things. He was not courting popularity. He was made of strong stuff.”

Bishop Cullinan reflected on The Pope’s visit to Ireland, namely Knock which he described as “touching in its simplicity and showed his child-like devotion to Our Mother Mary”.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend Pope Francis’ funeral, which is taking place this Saturday.

A spokesperson for the European Commission President, who met with Francis most-recently in June last year, confirmed she will attend the occasion this weekend.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with Pope Francis in June 2024. Alamy, file Alamy, file

A statement, read out on behalf of von der Leyen this morning, said: “The world mourns the passing of Pope Francis. He inspired millions, far beyond the Catholic Church, with his humility and his pure love for the less fortunate.

“Our thoughts are with all of those who feel this profound loss. May they find solace in the idea that Pope Francis’ legacy will continue to guide us all towards a more just, peaceful and compassionate world.”

Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has spoken of his meeting with Pope Francis during his Apostolic visit to Ireland. He said that, though he was nervous at first, the Pope made the meeting feel more friendly and comforting.

The short meeting between the Pope and the former Fine Gael leader discussed the historic abuses by the church institutions, Varadkar has told RTÉ Radio One. He said that Pope Francis’ request for forgiveness during his speech in Dublin was “remarkable”.

Varadkar detailed that his partner, Matt, was also at the meeting. He said it was one of the first meetings that Pope Francis had met with a same-sex couple and that it didn’t seem like a “big deal”.

Speaking about Francis’ view on same-sex relationships, Varadkar said that the way that he “reached out to groups like ours, LGBT people” had resonated with him – who was raised in the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis meets with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Dublin Castle as part of his visit to Ireland. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Varadkar said: “Having a Pope, the head of the largest Christian church, saying that refugees should be sheltered, saying that our planet was sick and that we need to act to save it, saying that LGBT people should not be criminalised, that did matter.

“And I do hope that his successor is of a similar mind,” he added.

The ex-Taoiseach also revealed that Pope Francis would ask for him through Archbishop Emeritus Diarmuid Martin, which he found surprising. “I don’t know what I said or if made an impression, or whether it was just small talk or just being nice,” he said. “But it was nice to hear certain

Crowds are flocking to St Peter’s Square again today, with many more people expected in the Vatican over the coming days as the lying in state period begins.

The planned canonisation this weekend of the first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis, has been postponed due to the death of Pope Francis, but thousands of people who were due to attend the ceremony and surrounding events have already travelled or are due to travel to Rome in the coming days, meaning the city was already packed with pilgrims ahead of yesterday’s news. 

Authorities in Rome are now planning for a further influx, and the state railway company has put together a plan to cope with the surge in demand. 

Crowds pouring into St Peter’s Square at Vatican City - it’s 9.30am local time and it’s already hectic. #PopeFrancis pic.twitter.com/FsBiAF8QXE

— Sophie Elsworth (@sophieelsworth) April 22, 2025

Bishop of Meath Tom Deenihan has paid tribute to the late Pope and expressed shock and sadness over the death of Francis.

Bishop Deenihan paid tribute to his holiness, remarking on his humility as his peers have. The Bishop also reflected on Francis’ papacy, saying that it was “immediately clear” that it would be different to others’.

“Above all,” Bishop Deenihan siad, “[Francis] was a prophet of mercy. Mercy, he said, was the ‘air that we breath’.”

Good afternoon – Jane Moore here. I’ll be bringing you the latest updates throughout the afternoon following the death of His Holiness Pope Francis. 

As my colleague reported earlier, crowds have been gathering at St Peter’s Square at the Vatican again today.

We can bring you some photos of how the scene looks. 

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meeting Pope Francis in March 2024. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

World leaders have begun confirming their attendance at the Pope’s funeral, which the Vatican has announced will take place on Saturday.

In the last hour, a government spokesman in Berlin confirmed that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will attend the funeral in Rome along with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also confirmed that he will attend Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday. 

Pope Francis meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in October 2024. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn today told reporters that the Ukrainian leader would attend the funeral along with his wife Olena Zelenska.

Zelenskyy paid tribute to the late Pope on Monday, hailing him as someone who “prayed for peace in Ukraine.”

In 2024, two years after Russia invaded, the pontiff angered many in Ukraine by suggesting Kyiv should have “the courage of the white flag” and open negotiations with Russia.

The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the Pope’s funeral. 

Pope Francis receiving President of Russia Vladimir Putin during an audience in Vatican City in July 2019. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

“No. The president has no such plans,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked if Putin would go to the funeral.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023 for the alleged forced deportation of children during Russia’s offensive on Ukraine, meaning he risks arrest by travelling abroad. 

Italy’s government has declared five days of national mourning following Pope Francis’s death. 

The mourning will last until Saturday, when the 88-year-old Catholic leader’s funeral will be held outside St Peter’s Basilica, civil protection minister Nello Musumeci told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

The mourning period is longer than the three days observed for pope John Paul II in 2005.

US President Donald Trump confirmed yesterday that he would attend the funeral on Saturday. 

“Melania and I will be going to the funeral of Pope Francis, in Rome. We look forward to being there!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform last night. 

Ivanka Trump, Melania Trump and US President Donald Trump standing with Pope Francis during a meeting in May 2017. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Pope Francis had been critical of Trump’s administration. 

When Trump first ran for president in 2016, Francis was unsparing on Trump’s signature promise to build a wall to seal off Mexico, telling reporters, “Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian.”

Trump fired back that the pope was “disgraceful.”

In February, Francis wrote a letter to US bishops calling Trump’s deportation plans a “calamity” and pleaded for “the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalized.”

Top Trump aide Tom Homan responded that the pope should “stick to the Catholic Church and fix that” rather than deal with the border.

At an Easter egg hunt for children at the White House on Monday, Trump ordered flags at half-staff and called Francis “a good man” who “worked hard and loved the world.”

Downing Street has confirmed that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will attend Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday. 

In a statement yesterday, Starmer said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of Francis’s death, adding that his “tireless efforts to promote a world that is fairer for all will leave a lasting legacy”.

Poland will observe a national day of mourning on Saturday when Pope Francis’s funeral takes place.

“Following the death of the Holy Father, President Andrzej Duda has decided to decree the day of the funeral, 26 April, a day of national mourning,” a statement from the presidency read, adding that Duda and his wife would attend the ceremony.

Pope Francis welcoming Poland's President Andrzej Duda during a private meeting at the Vatican in October 2018. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has announced that a book of condolence for Pope Francis is now available to sign on their website. 

Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne has paid tribute to Pope Francis, calling the late pontiff “a gentle shepherd who walked with us leading the people of God of our Church worldwide for the last twelve years”. 

“From the moment he chose the name Francis, following in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi, rooted in humility he signalled a papacy of building peace, care for the poor, and love for all of God’s creation,” Bishop Browne said in a statement. 

Pope Francis at the Closing Mass of the World Meeting of Families in Dublin's Phoenix Park in 2018. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

He said Francis “constantly emphasised the need for all of us to take care of our planet, our common home” and always sought “to be a voice for the voiceless, a champion of mercy, and a witness to the Gospel in word and deed”. 

“I pray that he now enjoys Christian hope fulfilled, – eternal life with God the Father. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.”

Mass will be celebrated in the Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney, Co Kerry, for Pope Francis on Wednesday, 23 April at 10.30am

A book of condolences for people to record their sympathy on the death of Francis has been opened in the cathedral. 

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain will join world leaders attending Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican on Saturday. 

Spain has declared three days of national mourning over the death of Francis. Today, the country’s royal family attended a reception in Madrid to sign of a book of condolence for the late pontiff. 

Addressing the reception, Felipe said Francis transcended the Catholic Church to become “an enormous ethical beacon of our world, of our time”.

King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Queen Emeritus Sofia arrive to sign a book of condolences for the death of Pope Francis at the Apostolic Nunciature in Madrid. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

People throughout the world are paying tribute to Pope Francis today. 

A woman pay tribute in front of a portrait of Pope Francis at the St. Paul Cathedral in Tirana, Albania. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

People paying tribute to Pope Francis at the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Hong Kong. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

People bow to pay their respects in front a portrait of Pope Francis at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul, South Korea. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

An altar in honour of Pope Francis in the chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature in Madrid. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

People gather in silence to pay tribute to Pope Francis at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne, Australia. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Taiwanese people pay their respects in front of a portrait of Pope Francis in Taipei, Taiwan. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

A Catholic woman prays in front of a portrait of Pope Francis at a church in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Devotees lay flowers in front of a banner of the late Pope Francis during a prayer in Dili, East Timor. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Muslim clerics place candles in front of the portrait of Pope Francis at a ceremony to pay tribute to the late pontiff at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church, in Lahore, Pakistan. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Three women are seen offering candles and praying for the repose of the soul of the late Pope in Quezon City in the Philippines. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

A book of condolences for Pope Francis has opened at St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin. 

The book of condolences at St Mary's Pro Cathedral in Dublin. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Seamus and Mairead Brennan from Laois paying their respects at the book of condolences for Pope Francis. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

A man paying respect to Pope Francis at St Mary's Pro Cathedral. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Some of the tributes in the book of condolences. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Pope Francis’s personal healthcare assistant has said that the late pontiff thanked him for encouraging him to ride in the popemobile after the Easter Sunday service in St Peter’s Square, his last public appearance before his death on Monday. 

Pope Francis on the popemobile touring St Peter's Square at the end of the Holy Mass on Easter Sunday. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

According to Vatican News, Massimiliano Strappetti recounted that some of the late pontiff’s final words were “Thank you for bringing me back to the Square.”

He said Francis wanted to offer a last surprise to the thousands of people in attendance by riding in the popemobile after the Urbi et Orbi blessing on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica.

The day before the service, Strappetti said they had gone together to St Peter’s Basilica to review the route he would take, and that Francis had asked him, “Do you think I can manage it?”. 

He later thanked his personal healthcare assistant for encouraging him to do it, according to the report. 

Shouts of “Viva il Papa!” (Long live the Pope) and “Bravo!” were heard from the crowd on Sunday as Francis looped through St Peter’s Square in the open-topped popemobile and then up and down the main avenue leading to it. He stopped occasionally to bless babies taken up to him.

A Holy Rosary will take place in St Peter’s Square this evening at 6.25pm (5.25pm Irish time). 

St Peter’s Basilica will remain open for the faithful who wish to pay their respects to the late Pope on Wednesday from 11am to midnight; on Thursday from 7am to midnight; and on Friday from 7am to 7pm. 

The first General Congregation of the College of Cardinals took place in the Synod Hall inside Vatican City this morning. 

The first General Congregation of the College of Cardinals took place on Tuesday morning in the Vatican, marking the beginning of a period of prayer, reflection, and preparation following the death of Pope Francis.https://t.co/81OBzquFLD pic.twitter.com/QdGIpQMKgf

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) April 22, 2025

According to Vatican News, it marks the beginning of a period of prayer, reflection, and preparation following the death of Pope Francis.

Around 60 cardinals attended the session, where they took an oath to faithfully observe the norms governing the interregnum and the election of a new pope. 

During the session, the cardinals confirmed the details of the late pontiff’s funeral. Dublin-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, also read Francis’s testament to the assembly.

The second General Congregation will take place tomorrow afternoon. 

Cliodhna Travers / The Journal Cliodhna Travers / The Journal / The Journal

People have been leaving messages in the book of condolences for Pope Francis at St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin. 

Among the messages were expressions of thanks to the late pontiff for “all you have done for humanity” and for his “faithfulness to the word of Christ”. 

One message read “Viva Papa”, while another read “RIP Pope Francis – we love you!”. Another said that Francis “will be sorely missed”. 

“May the work you started continue” read another message. 

One woman wrote: “May you Rest in Peace. Your work here is done and you carried it all well.”

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In St Peter’s Square, believers and tourists alike gathered to pay their respects, some bearing flowers or candles and with many lost in their thoughts.

“When a church is left without its head we are all a little disoriented,” said Slovenian priest Bastian Dolinsek, who said Francis singlehandedly brought the Church “one step forward”.

“In these times everyone is looking for a fixed point and there is no fixed point,” he said.

The Holy See’s official media Vatican News, released details about Francis’s last hours.

The pontiff started feeling ill Monday at around 5:30 am, less than 24 hours after he greeted a crowd of faithful in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.

Before falling into a coma, he waved to his personal nurse Massimiliano Strappetti from his bed, in what Vatican News described as “a gesture of farewell”.

Vatican News reports:

According to those who were with him in his final moments, he did not suffer. It all happened quickly.

His was a discreet death, almost sudden, without long suffering or public alarm, for a Pope who was always very reserved about his health.

The late Pope Francis was clear on his views about an array of issues, from abortion and LGBTQ+ rights, to climate change and immigration.

But what will the next pope be defined by? 

Sam Starkey has taken a look at the polarising issues that will define the next pope.

Argentina’s government has confirmed that President Javier Milei will join other world leaders at Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday.

Pope Francis receiving Argentina's President Javier Milei in February 2024. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Francis had a delicate relationship with politics in his homeland, but Milei hailed his “goodness and wisdom” after the pontiff died on Monday.

President Michael D Higgins with Pope Francis at Áras an Uachtaráin in August 2018. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris will all attend Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, it has confirmed. 

President Higgins will attend the funeral alongside his wife Sabina Higgins. 

President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina have signed the book of condolences for Pope Francis in the Apostolic Nunciature on the Navan Road in Dublin.

President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina this afternoon signed the Book of Condolences for His Holiness Pope Francis in the Apostolic Nunciature in Dublin pic.twitter.com/2dmnW7PaRC

— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) April 22, 2025

Britain’s Prince William will attend Pope Francis’s funeral on behalf of his father King Charles, Kensington Palace has announced. 

The UK monarch is head of the Church of England. 

In 2005, then-Prince Charles went to Pope John Paul II’s funeral, representing his mother Queen Elizabeth II. The late British queen never attended the funeral of a pontiff. 

Charles and his wife Camilla held a private meeting with Pope Francis on 9 April during an official visit to Rome. 

Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla during a private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on 9 April. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell signed the book of condolences for Pope Francis at St Mary’s Pro Cathedral in the capital this afternoon. 

Cliodhna Travers / The Journal Cliodhna Travers / The Journal / The Journal

Bishop of Clogher Larry Duffy has said that Pope Francis’s leadership “reflected his closeness to people of the margins, to the poorest and to those in great need”.

Paying tribute to the late pontiff, Bishop Duffy said Francis’s teachings gave witness to “the central place of mercy in our church and the need for us all to be people of hope”.

People wave to greet Pope Francis at Knock Shrine during his visit to Ireland in 2018. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

“He also placed great emphasis on the urgency of tackling the environmental crisis in our world and the need to prioritise the care of our common home.”

Bishop Duffy said Francis also reached out to other Christian churches, communities and to people of other faiths during his papacy, adding that he placed an emphasis on listening to others and on dialogue. 

“We will all find much to reflect on about the life and ministry of Pope Francis. His great sense of outreach to the underdog, his emphasis on mercy and hope – all of this firmly rooted in his love of God – will surely provide us with a lasting legacy. This is reflected in the outpouring of love and sympathy at his passing.”

A Solemn Mass will be celebrated at St Mary’s Pro Cathedral on Marlborough Street in Dublin for the happy repose of the soul of Pope Francis on Friday, 25 April at 10.30am.

The Mass will take place at St Mary's Pro Cathedral in Dublin on Friday. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference said the principal celebrant for the Mass will be His Excellency Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, and the homilist will be Bishop Paul Dempsey, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin.

A book of condolences for Francis is open at the Apostolic Nunciature on the Navan Road in Dublin.

It can be signed from today, on Wednesday and on Thursday of this week, between 10am to 12.30pm, and between 3pm to 5pm. 

Pope Francis’s funeral could prove to be impactful on the global stage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he wants to meet US President Donald Trump at the funeral in the Vatican on Saturday.

“Yes, I would like to, I am ready. We are always ready to meet with our partners from the United States,” he said,  answering a journalist’s question during a media briefing.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella has visited the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta at the Vatican to pay respects to the late Pope Francis.

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St Peter’s Square has been filling up with people ahead of a rosary for Pope Francis. 

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Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell will oversee the ceremony tomorrow morning to carry the body of Pope Francis to St Peter’s Basilica so that the faithful may pay their respects.

In his role as Camerlengo, Farrell confirmed and then announced Francis’s death to the world on Monday morning.

He then oversaw the sealing of the papal apartments, as well as the deposition of Francis’s remains into his coffin in a chapel in Santa Marta.

Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell, center, performs the ceremonial deposition of the body of Pope Francis as part of the final rites Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Tomorrow morning at 9am Rome time (8am Irish time) Farrell will preside over the transfer of Francis’s body to St Peter’s Basilica.

At the Altar of the Confession, a sacred space within St Peter’s Basilica that opens up in front of the main altar, Farrell will preside over the Liturgy of the Word.

At the conclusion of this, the visits to the body of the Francis will commence.

From St. Peter’s Square, a recitation of the Rosary, led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, in remembrance of Pope Francis, has begun.

The Rosary in remembrance of Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square has come to an end and with that, so too does our liveblog for today.

Tomorrow morning, we will bring you the latest as Drimnagh Cardinal Kevin Farrell oversees the removal of Francis’s remains to St Peter’s Basilica, where the pontiff will lie in state until his funeral on Saturday morning.

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