Vatican City CNN —

Pope Francis’ wooden coffin was sealed on Friday night, in a private rite that officially ends three days of his body lying in state at the Vatican.

About 250,000 people filed through St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their final respects to Francis, who was the first pope from Latin America and the first from the Jesuit order.

The liturgical rite of closing his coffin was led by the Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell, the acting head of the church, who is tasked with making arrangements for the pope’s funeral. Farrell, a Dublin-born cleric who became a naturalized American citizen, was formerly the Bishop of Dallas, in Texas.

Other church officials assisted, including the Venezuelan archbishop, the Brazilian prelate and the late pope’s secretaries, according to the Vatican press office. A US cardinal accused of mismanaging clerical sexual abuse – the retired archbishop of Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger Mahony – has also been listed as playing an official role.

Some relatives of the late pope also participated in the rite, according to the Vatican.

The ceremony, which took place behind closed doors, included several short songs, spoken prayers and a moment for silent prayer.

Farrell spread a white silk veil over the late pope’s face and sprinkled the body with holy water, according to an order of service released by the Vatican press office earlier this week.

The body of Pope Francis lies in a casket before it’s sealed, at St. Peter’s Basilica, ahead of his funeral at the Vatican, on April 25, 2025. Francesco Sforza/Vatican Media/Reuters

In keeping with tradition, the camerlengo placed several possessions inside the coffin before sealing it, including the pope’s pallium – the long white robe he wore – coins minted during his pontificate and a deed summarizing the highlights of his tenure.

The rite concluded with a hymn to Mary.

“During the night, the Chapter of St. Peter’s will ensure a presence of prayer and vigil at the body of the Pontiff, until the preparations for Holy Mass tomorrow (Saturday) morning,” the Vatican said in a statement after the rite ended.

As part of Francis’ push to simplify the papal funeral rites, his body is in a single wooden coffin, rather than having three nested coffins of cypress, lead and oak as was tradition.

Outside the basilica, the streets leading to the Vatican were much busier on Friday afternoon than they were earlier in the week, with thousands joining the line to file past the coffin before the church closed to the public at 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET).

Friday marks the fourth day of national mourning in Italy and a public holiday – Liberation Day – meaning many locals had more time to join the line. Others traveled from much farther away following news of the pope’s death.

“It was wonderful to see him,” said Joana Veiga, from Porto, Portugal, who arrived with her sister in the morning. “It was very peaceful – calm.” Her sister missed a chance to see Francis last year in Portugal, and was thankful that they made it in time for his lying in state.

Pope Francis’ funeral will take place on Saturday on the steps outside of St. Peter’s Basilica at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET). That will mark the beginning of the ancient tradition of the Novendiales, nine days of mourning for the deceased pope during which funeral Masses are held each day inside the basilica.

His final resting place, in Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, will also be simple in style. It will be made of marble from Liguria, northern Italy, where his great-grandfather was from. He asked that the tomb not have ornate decoration, instead only including an image of the cross he wore as Archbishop of Buenos Aires and the Latin inscription of his papal name: Franciscus.

CNN’s Christopher Lamb and James Frater contributed to this report.

The body of Pope Francis was transferred on Wednesday to St. Peter’s Basilica, where it will lie in state for public viewing until his funeral on Saturday.

Thousands of mourners lined up outside for a chance to pay their last respects to Francis, who died on Monday at the age of 88. The cause of death was a stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican’s top doctor said.

Earlier Wednesday, Francis’s open casket was taken in a solemn procession from a chapel in his residence to the basilica, where he made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo who is leading the Vatican until a new pope is chosen, presided over a ceremony of farewell.

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In his will, Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, said he wanted to be buried in a tomb that “was simple, without particular decoration and with only the inscription Franciscus.”

World leaders, including President Trump, will travel to Italy to attend the funeral.

Follow live updates on the death of Pope Francis in the blog below.

‘It changed my life’: Three women who met the Pope recall their experiences

Mark Lowen

Reporting from Rome

Image source, Getty Images

I’ve been speaking to three women in New York who each were dealing with extremely difficult life circumstances – illness, bereavement or health conditions – when they met Pope Francis. They say it changed their lives forever.

Julia Bruzzese:

“I was 12 years old and I had just been recently diagnosed with Lyme’s disease. I went from being a sporty kid to being paralysed in a wheelchair in a matter of months. One day out of the blue, the principal at my school reached out to my father and offered tickets to go meet the Pope.

“When he got off the plane, he came right over to me and he blessed me. We went from being really very alone to people seeing me on the news and reaching out to offer advice – doctors offering treatments and people with Lyme’s disease reaching out to share their stories. I was able to get treatment. And it led me to advocacy for Lyme’s disease because I realised a lot of people don’t have a voice. So the Pope changed my life and it’s a day I’ll never forget.”

Stephanie Gabaud:

“I was diagnosed with Spina bifida from birth, unable to walk. So I’ve been in a wheelchair all my life. I wasn’t even supposed to survive. I met the Pope at St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

“He gave me the sign of the cross on my forehead. And he whispered to me – he told me he wanted to pray for me. I felt a sense of relief. Today I am thriving: travelling, raising awareness about children with disabilities like mine. I’m doing great and I thank Pope Francis for what he has done for me. He changed my life for the better.”

Monica Iken-Murphy:

“I lost my soul mate in 9/11. We had only been married 11 months and I watched as the plane went into the tower he was in. In a minute, my life changed. But God spoke to me and said I had a mission to help get the 9/11 memorial built. And in 2015, I was honoured as a board member of the 9/11 memorial museum. I was then asked to bring my two girls to meet the Pope at a memorial ceremony.

“We were so excited… and meeting him changed me. I felt like a new human. The power of his presence, and him saying that the 9/11 memorial space is hallowed space – it really meant everything.”

From 23 Apr 2025 09.47 BST Lying in state begins The ceremony has now concluded, and the three days of lying in state will begin, with Catholic faithful free to pay their final respects to Pope Francis until midnight and then again from 7am, up until 7pm on Friday, the night before the funeral. Pope Francis’s coffin is transferred to St Peter’s Basilica for three days of lying in state, in Vatican City. Photograph: Massimo Percossi/EPA The faithful gather in St. Peter’s Square as members of the clergy walk to St. Peter’s Basilica on the day of the translation of Pope Francis’ body and its transfer to the basilica. Photograph: Claudia Greco/Reuters People watch as the coffin with the body of Pope Francis, who will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, is carried in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican. Photograph: Andreea Alexandru/AP Share

23 Apr 2025 15.42 BST Closing summary Jakub Krupa … and on that note, it’s a wrap from me, Jakub Krupa, for today. Thousands of Catholic faithful lined up to pay their final tributes to Pope Francis, as his coffin was moved to lie in state in St Peter’s Basilica after a ceremony this morning (8:23, 8:49, 9:03, 9:24, 9:28, 9:36).

The coffin with his body will lie in state until Friday evening, the night before the funeral (10:47, 12:54).

Our Rome correspondent Angela Giuffrida noted the unexpected decision to keep the coffin open during the procession (10:14), as she described how it was an “emotional experience” to see him for the final time – and spoke about the simplicity of his coffin (13:27). 1:29 Thousands pay respects as Pope Francis moved to St Peter’s to lie in state – video Elsewhere in Europe, Ukraine is ready to negotiate but not to surrender, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said as details emerged in media reports of a US proposal for a deal which would see Ukraine give up almost all territory currently occupied by Russia (16:29).

The deal was described by our defence and security editor Dan Sabbagh as “ Russia … willing to trade territory it does not control in Ukraine – in effect fresh air – for a US recognition of its 2014 seizure of Crimea , in other words a formal acknowledgment that it is possible to change borders by force, in effect creating an extraordinary precedent” (Ukraine blog).

Apple and Meta have been fined €500m and €200m respectively for breaching the EU’s flagship digital regulation, the Digital Markets Act (12:02). The bloc’s officials insisted the enforcement decision was not linked to on-going stand-off in relations with the US (12:21).

EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis warned that while the EU’s first preference is to reach a negotiated solution with the United States over trade, if discussions with the US do not lead to a solution, the EU will respond with countermeasures (16:27).

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 hit the Marmara Sea near the western outskirts of Istanbul (12:51), with more than 150 people hospitalised with injuries sustained while fleeing buildings.

Denmark’s King Frederik will travel to Greenland , a semi-autonomous Danish territory, on 28 April, the Royal House confirmed (16:19).

Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski told Russia “you will never rule here again,” as he presented to parliament the government’s priorities in foreign policy (16:04). And that’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, for today. If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com. I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa. Share Updated at 15.45 BST

23 Apr 2025 15.29 BST Ukraine ready to negotiate, not surrender, deputy prime minister says Ukraine is ready to negotiate but not to surrender, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said as details emerged in media reports of a US proposal for a deal which would see Ukraine give up almost all territory currently occupied by Russia. View image in fullscreen Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko addresses speaking at an event in 2023. Photograph: Reuters “There will be no agreement that hands Russia the stronger foundations it needs to regroup and return with greater violence,” Svyrydenko wrote on X. “A full ceasefire – on land, in the air, and at sea – is the necessary first step,” she said, adding that if Moscow instead opted for a limited pause, Kyiv would respond in kind. For all the latest on Ukraine, follow our special live blog here: Russia-Ukraine war live: Kyiv says it is ready to negotiate but not surrender, after US repeats threat to abandon talks Read more Share

23 Apr 2025 15.27 BST EU wants deal with US, but ready to retaliate, trade commissioner Dombrovskis says EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis is in the US as he continues to look for a way out of the trade standoff between the bloc and the new Trump administration. View image in fullscreen Valdis Dombrovskis, pictured speaking after an EU meeting in January. Photograph: Omar Havana/AP Speaking at an IMF and World Bank meeting, he said that “the European Union is not giving up on our closest, deepest and most important partnership with the United States,” AFP reported. But he added that while the EU’s first preference is to reach a negotiated solution with the United States over trade, if discussions with the US do not lead to a solution, the EU will respond with countermeasures, Reuters said. Dombrovskis said that the EU had already offered to buy more US LNG and to reduce tariffs on certain goods, and added that the EU would welcome more clarity from the US about its expectations. Share

23 Apr 2025 15.19 BST Danish King to visit Greenland later this month amid Trump interest Denmark’s King Frederik will travel to Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, on 28 April, the Royal House confirmed. View image in fullscreen Danish prime mnister Mette Frederiksen proclaims the accession of the throne from Queen Margrethe to King Frederik X from the balcony at Christiansborg Palace Square in 2024. Photograph: Ritzau Scanpix Denmark/Reuters Reuters noted that the visit to Greenland by Denmark’s head of state comes as US president Donald Trump seeks a takeover by the United States of the minerals-rich and strategically important island. According to a note published by the Royal House, the monarch will meet with members of the new Greenlandic government and visit Station Nord, “the northernmost military and scientific station in Greenland.” He will also attend the SIRIUS Dog Sled Patrol. Greenland’s prime minister Jens Frederik-Nielsen will travel to Denmark on 26 April, where he will meet with Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen, according to Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq, reported by Reuters. The king will travel to Greenland together with Nielsen when the prime minister returns to the island, Reuters said. Share

23 Apr 2025 15.04 BST ‘You will never rule here again,’ Polish foreign minister tells Russia Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski told Russia “you will never rule here again,” as he presented to parliament the government’s priorities in foreign policy. View image in fullscreen Poland’s foreign minister Radek Sikorski gives a speech at the parliament. Photograph: Czarek Sokołowski/AP “Stop fantasising about another conquest of Warsaw and focus your concerns on keeping Haishenwai,” he said, provocatively using the Chinese name for the Russian city of Vladivostok. In a wide-ranging speech, Sikorski said Europe’s goal “should not be to forge a shaky ceasefire, but a lasting and just peace” in Ukraine. He said: “The result of Russia’s war against Ukraine will define our region’s security level for years to come. It will determine for example whether Belarus will sink into the russkiy mir for good, or whether it will manage to preserve the last shreds of its autonomy. It will constitute a point of reference for the European aspirations of Moldova, Georgia, and Armenia. It will also affect the foreign policy of important partners in Central Asia who look to both Moscow and Beijing, but who are also seeking closer ties with Europe.” He added that “any arrangement with the Kremlin will only last so long as the Russian elite dreads the consequences of its breach.” Speaking about Poland’s European policy, he said the government was negotiating a new treaty with France, hoped for closer ties with the new German government in Berlin, and called for broader reset in relations post-Brexit Britain as he insisted “we share interests and values.” Sikorski also called for closer relationship with the new US administration, saying “we do not need a trade war; we need to work together in our transatlantic family.” You can read the full speech here. Share

23 Apr 2025 15.01 BST Jakub Krupa Let’s take a quick look at other events around Europe. Share

23 Apr 2025 14.05 BST ‘He felt our pain’: Catholic church in Gaza grieves Pope Francis’s death The first time he spoke to Pope Francis during the pontiff’s nightly calls to the Holy Family Catholic church in Gaza City, the congregant George Antone, 44, found himself at a loss for words. View image in fullscreen Christian Palestinians attend a special prayer for the late Pope Francis after the news of his death at age 88, at the Holy Family Church in the Old City of Gaza. Photograph: Jehad Alshrafi/AP It was October 2023, a few weeks after Hamas ignited a devastating war in the Gaza Strip by attacking Israel. The Palestinian territory’s tiny Christian community had taken shelter in the strip’s three churches, but that didn’t mean they were safe. An Israeli airstrike had just hit the Greek Orthodox church, killing 18 people; soon, snipers and bombs would also kill civilians at the Holy Family. “I was so shy when Father Yousef handed me the phone, and there was his holiness on the screen looking at me. I thought, ‘Am I dreaming, what do I talk to him about?’ He was smiling and sweet, he asked me about what I’d had to eat that day, about my family,” Antone said. “We spoke about everything. He got to know all of us … Despite everything on his shoulders in this world he cared about us in Gaza. It feels like we have lost our father.” Gaza’s population has endured terrible losses over 18 months of war. Although they never met in person, Francis’s diligent calls every night for a year and a half let the Palestinian territory’s Christian community know they were not forgotten, and his death on Monday has come as a hard blow. Read this report from Bethan McKernan in Jerusalem and Malak A Tantesh in Gaza: ‘He felt our pain’: Catholic church in Gaza grieves Pope Francis’s death Read more Share

23 Apr 2025 13.14 BST Tributes to Pope Francis from around the world Rachel Obordo As head of the Catholic church, Pope Francis’s appeal went far beyond those within his congregation. Many appreciated his views on the environment, his calls for ending poverty and inequality and for his compassionate approach to the papacy. Here, people from around the world recall their memories of the pontiff and pay tribute ahead of the conclave to choose his successor. Maria Lobão, 50, teacher, Portugal: The atheist that I am will miss this good-humoured, smiling, generous, intellectually clever and outspoken pope who preferred modesty to glamour and honours. I also appreciated his sense of mercy and ecumenical spirit. He transmitted a real feeling of decency and sincerity. He even enjoyed football! View image in fullscreen Pope Francis plays table football during the weekly general audience at the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican, August 18, 2021. Photograph: Vatican Media/Reuters Robert, Poland: I was a volunteer during the 2016 World Youth Day in Kraków. During the meeting with volunteers, which we waited for the whole week, the pope started reading the text that he had prepared for us in English. Perhaps because of the energy and cheerfulness of all the young people who gathered there, at some point he threw his notes in the air and started speaking Spanish. After this, many volunteers from Latin America and Latin language countries became ecstatic. I didn’t understand Spanish, which made me a little disappointed, but soon after the happy atmosphere was passed on to others too. The pope felt visibly more spontaneous and at ease, making eye contact and cheering everyone up. It’s a beautiful memory. View image in fullscreen Pope Francis (C) meets with volunteers, who assist other pilgrims during the WYD, at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland, 31 July 2016. Photograph: Maciej Kulczyński/EPA Amanda, Suffolk: I’m a lapsed Catholic and Francis was an inspiration to people like me. He was prepared to stand up to the conservative, unforgiving elements of the church and also to politicians. His clear love for all individuals, including the poorest, was inspiring. He clearly made mistakes because he was fallible like all humans. I think some progressives expected too much, taking into account the environment in which he was working. His visit to refugees in Lesbos says everything about him. I feel I’ve lost someone close to me. I wish he could have lived much longer to deliver much more needed change, but we must appreciate everything he did and celebrate that. Sadly I think there will be external influences on many cardinals with voting rights, from the US and conservative-minded countries elsewhere, resulting in a much less compassionate pope. I truly hope I am wrong. View image in fullscreen Pope Francis talks to people at the Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) in Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, Greece, 5 December 2021. Photograph: Alessandro Di Meo/EPA Enesa, 53, lawyer, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina: He was a unique person who inspired Catholics and non-Catholics. I’m a Muslim and Pope Francis was my inspiration. He is a role model on how religious leaders should be. Unfortunately, nowadays such leaders don’t exist. View image in fullscreen Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he arrives to celebrate a Mass at the Kosevo stadium, in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6 June 2015. Photograph: Amel Emrić/AP Read all tributes here: ‘I’m a Muslim and he was my inspiration’ – world pays tribute to Pope Francis Read more Share

23 Apr 2025 12.27 BST ‘Emotional experience’ to see Francis, as pilgrims highlight his humility Angela Giuffrida I was among the first group of journalists who were taken to see the pope lying in state. The queue to St Peter’s Basilica is absolutely massive and moving very slowly, but people are very patient. View image in fullscreen The body of Pope Francis lies in state at the St Peter Basilica. Photograph: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images Seeing Pope Francis was an emotional experience, but what struck me was the simplicity of his coffin, which is how he had always planned his funeral to be. What you see inside St Peter’s Basilica is a very simple wooden casket which is simply lined with an elegant red cloth and the pope is wearing his red vestments and holding a rosary. As one Italian pilgrim said to me, one thing that struck her was how youthful he looked. She also mentioned that there were there a lot of young people queueing here today and I’d noted that as well. She felt that Pope Francis did manage to strike a chord with the young people. We were due to have the canonisation of what will be the Catholic church’s first millennial saint Carlo Acutis on Sunday but that event has been suspended for now. Who is Carlo Acutis, the computer prodigy who died at 15 and is to be first millennial saint? Read more One word that that keeps coming back when I ask people what they think of Pope Francis is they talk about his humility. For most people that was probably the most important characteristic and one that, at least according to the people I’ve been speaking to, they hope that the new pope will also have. Share

23 Apr 2025 12.25 BST Jakub Krupa Let’s go to our Rome correspondent Angela Giuffrida, who is on the ground in the Vatican and just visited St Peter’s Basilica to see the pope and speak with pilgrims. Share

23 Apr 2025 11.54 BST Thousands of Catholic faithful pay their final respects to Pope Francis – in pictures View image in fullscreen People line up to enter St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis, where his body will lie in state for three days. Photograph: Massimo Percossi/EPA View image in fullscreen People line up to enter St. Peter’s Basilica to pay their respects to the late Pope Francis, where his body will lie in state for three days. Photograph: Massimo Percossi/EPA View image in fullscreen Faithful pay respects as Pope Francis lies in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters Share Updated at 15.34 BST

23 Apr 2025 11.51 BST 6.2-magnitude earthquake hits off Istanbul coast A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 hit the Marmara Sea near the western outskirts of Istanbul on Wednesday, officials said, with the impact felt across Turkey’s largest city where people rushed onto the streets, AFP reported. “An earthquake of 6.2 magnitude occurred in Silivri, Marmara Sea, Istanbul,” interior minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X. You can get a sense of how strong the earthquake was in this clip capturing the impact as CNN Turk was on air with a studio chat. Share

23 Apr 2025 11.27 BST JD Vance warns Russia, Ukraine need to agree to peace or US will walk away from peace process There is also a lot happening today on Ukraine, after London peace talks expected to take place on ministerial level were postponed at the very last minute, with meetings downgraded to official level and closed to media. In the last half hour, US vice-president JD Vance warned that Moscow and Kyiv must strike a deal or Washington will end its efforts to reach a ceasefire. “We’ve issued a very explicit proposal to both the Russians and the Ukrainians, and it’s time for them to either say yes, or for the United States to walk away from this process,” Vance told reporters in India, AFP reported. You can follow all the latest updates here: Russia-Ukraine war live: London peace talks postponed, UK Foreign Office says Read more Share

23 Apr 2025 11.21 BST Apple, Meta fines ‘about enforcement, not trade negotiations’ with US, commission spokesperson insists For what it’s worth, commission deputy chief spokesperson Arianna Podestà insisted the Apple and Meta decisions were “about enforcement, not about trade negotiations” with the US. She said: “It’s very distinct matters, completely separate. We have a regulation. We are applying the regulation. We apply it, of course, in the same way to all companies here. We had a decision in the making that you have been asking us about for a while. We have concluded the technical work on these decisions. We have said, so, I think, past, in the past couple of weeks, and then we have been drafting the decision. Of course, there are legal aspects to be taken into account in when drafting a decision, because it has to be sound from a legal perspective. When the decision was ready, we adopted it, and this is where we stand today.” But she faced strong criticism from journalists for both commissioners responsible for the fine not taking part in the press conference, and leaving it to spokespeople to communicate their decisions. “We don’t hold back decisions for communication purposes. We need to enforce our regulation now,” Podestà replied. Share

23 Apr 2025 11.02 BST Apple, Meta fined hundreds of millions of euros for violating EU’s digital rulebook In other European news elsewhere, the European Commission has just issued massive fines against US tech giants Apple and Meta for breaching its digital regulation, the Digital Markets Act. The commission found that Apple breached the DMA’s “anti-steering obligation” for developers of apps distributed on App Store and has been fined €500m. Separately, Meta was fined €200m for “breaching the DMA obligation to give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data after introducing a Consent or Pay model in 2023. The full explanation for both decisions is here. European Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera said the decisions “send a strong and clear message,” fining the companies for falling short of compliance with the rulebook. “As a result, we have taken firm but balanced enforcement action against both companies, based on clear and predictable rules. All companies operating in the EU must follow our laws and respect European values,” she said. But the move is likely to trigger an angry reaction from the US, as president Donald Trump repeatedly criticised EU regulations and what he perceived as taking aim at US companies. Given the already tricky EU-US relations as a result of Trump’s aggressive trade policy, this could see the tensions rise further. Share

The Vatican has released the first images of Pope Francis since his death, ahead of his funeral in Rome on Saturday.

The photos of the Pope’s body placed lying in state followed the official declaration of death ceremony.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: World mourns the death of Pope Francis at age 88.

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The rite confirming the pontiff’s death took place on the ground-floor chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, where he lived during his 12-year papacy.

Pictures show Pope Francis dressed in his vestments and laid in a wooden coffin. Swiss Guards were stood either side.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, read the official declaration aloud in an almost hour-long ceremony.

Seals have also been placed on the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace and the Pope’s apartment at Casa Santa Marta.

Pope Francis’s body is laid out in state inside his private chapel at the Vatican. Credit: VATICAN MEDIA / AP

Francis, 88, died unexpectedly on Monday after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest. Credit: VATICAN MEDIA / AP

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest.

He was 88.

The pontiff will be laid to rest in a funeral service on Saturday (6pm AEST).

A funeral must be held between four and six days following the death of a pope.

Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place at St Peter’s Square, outside St Peter’s Basilica, which can fit about 300,000 people.

Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, will preside at the mass.

In a break from tradition, Francis confirmed in his final testament that he wished to be buried in Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major and not St Peter’s Basilica.

The Vatican said that staff and officials within the Holy See could immediately start to pay their respects before the Pope’s body at the Santa Marta residence, where Francis set up home in 2013, shunning the grand, apostolic palace his predecessors had lived in.

His body will be moved to St Peter’s Basilica as early as Wednesday morning for the faithful to visit.

The pontiff’s funeral service will be held on Saturday. Credit: VATICAN MEDIA / AP

The pontiff spent five weeks in hospital earlier this year suffering from double pneumonia.

But he returned to the Vatican almost a month ago and had seemed to be recovering, appearing in St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.

His sudden death set in motion ancient rituals, as the 1.4-billion-member church started the transition from one pope to another, including the breaking of the pope’s “Fisherman’s Ring” and lead seal, used in his lifetime to seal documents, so they cannot be used by anyone else.

A conclave to choose a new pope usually takes place 15 to 20 days after the death of a pontiff, meaning it should not start before May 6.

Some 135 cardinals are eligible to participate in the highly secretive ballot that can stretch over days.

At present there is no clear frontrunner to succeed Francis.

– With AAP