Migrants, refugees and a group of the poor will take part in the funeral of Pope Francis at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Saturday.
The NGO Mediterranea said it had met the late pontiff several times during his life and had now received confirmation of its participation from the Prefecture of the Papal Household.
The delegation will include rescuers and survivors of torture who escaped Libyan detention centres. Mediterranea said their presence reflects Pope Francis’s strong commitment to defending the dignity of migrants and the dispossessed.
The Pope’s body currently lies in state at St Peter’s Basilica, where over 50,000 people have already paid their respects. Following Saturday’s funeral, his body will be moved to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a church he held dear, for a simple and private burial.
Welcoming migrants was a central focus of Francis’s 12-year papacy. He visited Lampedusa, the southern Italian island that is often the first landing point for those crossing from North Africa, early in his pontificate. His advocacy for migrants often brought him into conflict with political leaders, including those in the United States.
Poor and vulnerable to welcome pope’s coffin at Santa Maria Maggiore
The Vatican confirmed that a group of poor and vulnerable individuals will be present on the steps of Santa Maria Maggiore to welcome the late Pope’s coffin as it arrives.
“The poor have a privileged place in the heart of God,” said a Vatican statement. “So also in the heart and in the Magisterium of the Holy Father, who chose the name Francis so as never to forget them.”
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the funeral procession from St Peter’s to Santa Maria Maggiore will proceed “at walking pace to allow people to say goodbye to him”. The final burial will be private, in keeping with Pope Francis’s wishes.
The Pope’s tomb is in a niche between the Cappella Paolina and the Cappella Sforza in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. It lies near the Altar of Saint Francis.
Made from Ligurian marble, the tomb bears a single inscription: “Franciscus”, alongside a depiction of his pectoral cross.
Visitors will be able to access the tomb from Sunday 27 April, the morning after the funeral.
Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday aged 88, had a deep devotion to the Virgin Mary. He regularly prayed at the shrine of the Salus Populi Romani within the basilica, particularly before and after his foreign trips.
World leaders and religious figures from across the globe are expected to attend Saturday’s ceremony.
