Crowds gather on St Peter’s Square ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral

ROME (April 26): Thousands of people gathered on St Peter’s Square in the Vatican early on Saturday ahead of Pope Francis’ funeral, German news agency (dpa) reported.

The funeral service at St Peter’s Basilica is to begin at 10 am (0800 GMT or 4pm in Malaysia), with hundreds of thousands of believers expected to fill the square outside.

Global leaders, including US President Donald Trump, have been arriving in Rome ahead of the ceremony.

After the Mass, the pope’s coffin will be brought back into St Peter’s Basilica, from where a procession will set off for the burial.

Tens of thousands of people are set to line the 6-kilometre route through central Rome – passing sights such as Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum – to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, where Francis will be laid to rest after having visited it frequently throughout his 12-year papacy. – Bernama-dpa