A group of immigrants and vulnerable people will accompany Francis' coffin before his burial.

RomeSome 250,000 people bid farewell to Pope Francis at the funeral chapel set up Wednesday in St. Peter's Basilica. The crush exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts and forced the Vatican to keep its doors open until dawn. The pontiff, who died Monday at the age of 88, He will be fired this Saturday in a mass ceremony which will be attended by 130 international delegations and 50 heads of state, but where a group of about 40 vulnerable, poor, imprisoned, transgender, and homeless people will have a privileged place.

With this symbolic act, the Vatican wanted to underline the deep relationship that Pope Francis had with the most disadvantaged. Each one will carry a white rose in their hand and will stand on the steps of the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where the pontiff will be buried.

St. Peter's Basilica closed its doors to the public on Friday afternoon to begin the rite of closing Pope Francis's coffin, presided over by Cardinal Camerlengo Joseph Kevin Farrell. A solemn and private ceremony, charged with symbolism, in which the pontiff's body was prepared for burial.

Francis will be buried in a single coffin instead of the usual three. (made of cypress, lead, and oak) and inside were placed twelve gold, silver, and bronze coins minted by the Vatican, which indicate the years of his papacy, and a "rogito," or deed, briefly listing the details of his life and pontificate.

This document, drafted by the master of papal liturgical celebrations, Monsignor Diego Ravelli, will have two copies that were signed by those present after being read aloud. One was placed in a metal tube that was placed in the coffin. The other copy of the document will become part of the archives of the Office of Pontifical Liturgical Ceremonies.

Pope Francis's face was then covered with a white silk veil, as a symbol of purity, and a prayer was said, as provided for in theOrdo exsequarum romani pontificals, the liturgical book that regulates the funeral rites of Popes. The cardinal camerlengo then sprinkled Francis's body with holy water.

The ritual was attended by a small group of members of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, including his own. number twoSecretary of State Pietro Parolin. Also present were the Holy Father's secretaries, Daniel Pellizon, Juan Cruz Villalón, and Fabio Salerno.

The authorities' farewell

Shortly before the doors of St. Peter's Basilica closed to the faithful, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte went to the church to bid their final farewell to Pope Francis. Dressed entirely in black, they both paused in silence at the foot of the coffin for a few minutes. The French delegation was one of the first to arrive in Rome to attend the Pope's funeral.

Leaders and monarchs from around the world began arriving in the Italian capital this Friday, fully armored to guarantee the security of the ceremony, which will bring together the world's powerful. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni received British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán at the Palau Chigi for visits described as courtesy visits.

One of the last to arrive was US President Donald Trump, who before traveling to Rome with his wife, Melania, assured that he would be available to hold bilateral meetings with other international leaders, without specifying with whom. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he will probably not be able to participate in the funeral in order to monitor the situation in his country following the latest Russian attacks.

On Friday, all the cardinals present in Rome—including non-electors—gathered for their fourth informal meeting of the day at the Vatican, in which The cardinals debate the priorities of the next pontificateHowever, the meeting descended into chaos when the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, announced that Cardinal AnGelo Becciu, whom the pontiff dismissed after being convicted in a scandal involving fraudulent financial operations withb funds from the Secretariat of State and donations from the faithful, he could not participate in the conclave, as he claims.

The problem is that Francis did not follow official channels—he forced him to renounce his cardinal rights, but not his duties, which include participating in the election of the pontiff—and there was no official document of the Pope's decision. Until yesterday. According to local media, two letters written by the Pope, which were previously unknown, would suggest excluding the Italian cardinal from the conclave. An unexpected plot twist, which probably won't be the last.