How to watch Pope Francis’ funeral procession as world mourns Vatican leader

When Pope Francis, who died Monday at the age of 88, is laid to rest Saturday, the funeral service and procession will meld Catholic Church tradition with some of Francis’ humble personal wishes. The ceremony at the Vatican is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern, 1 a.m. Pacific), and you can watch it here on CBS News.

Church leaders and a long list of dignitaries and heads of state, including President Trump and former President Joe Biden, are expected to attend, along with a crowd of thousands of the faithful in St. Peter’s Square. 

The funeral Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals.

A procession will then carry the pontiff’s coffin to his final resting place, a fifth-century church about 3 miles away that held special meaning for him. In his last will and testament, he requested that he be buried not at the Vatican but at the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major) in Rome, where he went to pray before and after each of his journeys abroad.

“The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus,” he wrote. Unlike other popes, his tomb will not bear any mention of his papacy — only the name he chose to honor St. Francis of Assisi.

How can you watch Pope Francis’ funeral on TV?

You can watch the funeral service for Pope Francis on CBS television stations beginning at 4 a.m. Eastern. Find your local station here. CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell and John Dickerson anchor the live coverage, overlooking St. Peter’s Basilica.

Where can you stream Pope Francis’ funeral?

Full coverage of the funeral service will stream live on CBS News in the video player above. Download the free CBS News app to watch on your mobile or streaming device. You can also watch on Paramount+. 

Will there be a replay of Pope Francis’ funeral?

The full funeral service for Pope Francis will replay on CBS News 24/7 after it concludes at about 7 a.m. Eastern.

What time will Pope Francis’ funeral start?

The funeral is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. local time Saturday at the Vatican, which is 4 a.m. Eastern. For viewers on the West Coast, it begins at 1 a.m. Pacific.

How long will Pope Francis’ funeral last?

The funeral service at St. Peter’s will likely last around an hour and a half, followed by a procession to the church where Pope Francis will be buried. Another, shorter service will take place there before the interment.

The funeral for his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in 2022, lasted about two hours. Before that, the 2005 funeral for Pope John Paul II ran more than two and a half hours.

What’s the schedule for Pope Francis’ funeral procession?

The simple wooden coffin carrying the pope was brought in a procession to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning from his residence at Casa Santa Marta, where he died. For the next three days, he lay in state as crowds waited hours in line to file past and pay their respects.

Saturday, the funeral Mass will be held outside St. Peter’s Basilica. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the funeral liturgy. “At the end of the Eucharistic Celebration, the Ultimo commendatio and Valedictio will take place,” the Vatican says, referring to the concluding prayer and farewell remarks where Francis will be formally entrusted to God.

Following the funeral Mass, the coffin of Pope Francis will be transported from St. Peter’s in Vatican City to the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome for interment. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as the camerlengo (chamberlain) is one of the highest ranking Vatican officials, will preside over the burial rite.

When will the papal conclave begin?

The date of the papal conclave — the gathering of cardinals to choose the next pope — has not yet been announced, but by church rules it must begin 15 to 20 days after a pope’s death. That would put the start of the upcoming conclave in the first or second week of May.