Pope Francis's Funeral Preparations and Global Leader Summit in Vatican

Final Tributes to Pope Francis

• 🕊️ Over 125,000 mourners have paid their respects to Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica, with final hours for public visitation.
• 📍 The Basilica extended its hours to accommodate the massive crowds, with tens of thousands more expected.
• 🗓️ Today marks the last opportunity for goodbyes, with the Pope's casket to be sealed this evening.

Funeral and Burial Arrangements

• ⛪ Tomorrow morning, the funeral for Pope Francis will take place.
• ✝️ Following the funeral, a procession will proceed to the St. Mary Major Basilica, Pope Francis's preferred burial site, not the Vatican.
• 🏛️ This choice reflects his personal relationship with the Virgin Mary and his habit of visiting the basilica before international journeys.

Period of Mourning and Papal Succession

• 🕯️ The novemialis, a nine-day period of mourning, will commence tomorrow.
• 🗳️ After these nine days, the focus will shift to the conclave and inauguration to determine the next Pope.

Global Leaders Summit at the Vatican

• 🌍 The funeral is expected to convene numerous world leaders, effectively creating a summit.
• 🤝 Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Ukraine are among those attending, with potential for diplomatic discussions.
• 🗣️ President Trump indicated his intention to meet with many of the leaders present, highlighting the significant global affairs context.
• 📰 NewsNation will provide live coverage of Pope Francis's funeral starting Saturday at 3:00 AM Eastern.