Pope Francis funeral: Which family members of the late pontiff will attend the service?

The casket is sealed, and it’s just a matter of hours now.

Pope Francis’ funeral is set to take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. The dean of the College of Cardinals is overseeing the ceremony, which will be a departure from previous papal funerals.


Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, passed away at 88 after a critical health battle on April 21. The late head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, who had been in office since 2013, died of a stroke, which led to a coma and ultimately “irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse,'' as per the Vatican. The elderly pontiff had already been suffering from declining health since earlier this year.


Pope Francis’ funeral:

The funeral of the late Pope is to be held within four to six days and is led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals. As per the Vatican, Pope Francis's funeral is to be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM local time.

According to a short statement, the funeral liturgy in St Peter’s Square will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals. The Mass will be concelebrated by Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests from across the globe.


But unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis won’t be laid to rest in the Vatican. Rather, following the liturgy, the late Pope’s coffin will be taken into St Peter’s Basilica, and then to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial, as requested by Francis himself.


Within hours of Pope Francis’ death, condolences poured in from around the world, as did confirmations from notable world leaders with intentions to attend the funeral. However, amidst all, the echoing question is – will the late pontiff’s family be attending the service?


Will Pope Francis’ family attend the funeral?


The ‘simple’ family man!

Although to the whole world, he was the Pope, to his family, he was always "Jorge Mario" -- even during the 12 years that he was pontiff.

Before he became the first Latin American to lead the Catholic Church, Pope Francis was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born into a close-knit, middle-class household in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.


Jorge Mario was the eldest of five siblings, and shared a strong bond with them – a bond he often described as being "as close as the fingers of one hand."

Among them, he shared a particularly special connection with his younger sister, María Elena – now the only surviving member of his immediate family.

The late Pope also played a pivotal role in the life of his nephew, María Elena's son José Ignacio, who grew up without a father, as he revealed to BBC News Mundo, "I always say that my two uncles, Alberto and Jorge, became the father figures I so deeply missed as a child.”

In his words, "Jorge knew how to be serious when needed, but he never lost his spontaneity or his sense of humour. He was a warm, approachable uncle, and I loved him deeply."

Remembering the time when Jorge Mario decided to accept the papacy, José Ignacio recalled how they all understood that his life was going to change. In his words, "At home, I hugged my mother, and we cried together for a while. Then cousins and friends started to arrive, and the phone was ringing off the hook."


The fateful news:

José Ignacio told BBC News Mundo, "When we heard of his passing, it came with a certain comfort to the soul, because we knew our loved one was finally at peace, and once again, he was simply our Uncle Jorge."


However, José Ignacio revealed that his family had no plans to travel to Rome for the service, saying, "We firmly believe our place is here." He also encouraged mourners to honour Pope Francis's memory by donating to charity, a gesture he believed would be a more meaningful tribute.


The 'simple' funeral:

Originally from Argentina, Francis was the first Catholic pontiff from the Americas. He began his career as a Jesuit priest in Argentina and later served as archbishop of Buenos Aires and a cardinal. He was elected as the Pope on March 13, 2013.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced on the Vatican's TV channel, "Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father."

On Sunday, Easter day, Pope Francis entered St. Peter's Square in an open-air popemobile shortly after midday, greeting cheering crowds. He had also offered a special blessing for the first time since Christmas.


While most popes are buried underneath St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis decided in 2022 that he should be buried away from the Vatican, in the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome.

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God, holds deep personal significance for Pope Francis. It is where he had traditionally prayed before and after his international journeys, as per reports.

Pope Francis' wish to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore makes him the first pope in over a century to be buried outside the Vatican.

In 2022, Pope Francis announced his wish to forego many of the traditional and elaborate funeral customs observed for previous popes, and the Vatican revealed the changes in a new formal rite, which was published in November last year.

The pope will be buried in a single, zinc-lined wooden coffin, abandoning the centuries-old tradition of interlocking caskets made of cypress, lead, and oak. The decision reflected Francis' commitment to simplicity and his broader efforts to modernise church traditions, as mentioned in a 2024 Reuters report.