Pope Francis had earlier expressed that he wants to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which makes him the first Pope in the last 100 years to be buried outside of Vatican. The deceased pope will be dressed in his simple white cassock and red vestments,

Navarrosa, who is currently writing his thesis on the pope’s 2016 encyclical 'Amoris Laetitia,' recalls meeting Francis in 2021 and says he had hoped to meet him again. “I’m not worried about the future of the church, because it is guided by the Holy Spirit,” he says.

Vladimir Putin does not plan to attend Pope Francis's funeral, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced. Among those who have confirmed their participation in the ceremony are Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.