Like his predecessors, Pope Francis’ pontificate was marked not only by historic events and memorable themes but also by his personality, character, and style.

Throughout his papacy, Francis increased women's leadership in the Vatican, with female employees rising from about 850 in 2013 to nearly 1,200 by 2023, according to Vatican News.

More than 1,800 Italian Civil Protection volunteers are currently deployed around St. Peter’s Basilica and throughout central Rome to coordinate and facilitate the flow of pilgrims paying their final respects to Pope Francis.

Pope Francis’ coffin was closed and sealed in St. Peter’s Basilica in a private ceremony on Friday evening after more than 250,000 people paid their final respects to the late pope over three days of public visitation.

The following leaders from around the world are among the dignitaries who have announced they are to attend Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday, April 26, at the Vatican.

Among the more than 250,000 people who made their way to the Vatican this week were the nocturnal pilgrims wanting to catch a final glimpse of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica before his Saturday funeral.  

The funeral for Pope Francis, pontiff from March 13, 2013, until his death on April 21, will be held on Saturday morning in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

At 9:45 p.m. in Rome, 12 hours before Pope Francis’ funeral, the first of thousands of pilgrims were already lining the streets to glimpse the late pontiff as his body made its way to his final resting place at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

Join us in prayer for the Funeral Mass of Pope Francis from St. Peter's Basilica.

Pope Francis’ coffin will be sealed in a liturgical rite this evening ahead of his solemn funeral, set to take place the next morning on Saturday, April 26.

Among Peter's 265 successors, 30 have been buried outside of the Vatican. Pope Francis will also be buried outside the Vatican, in St. Mary Major's Basilica.

For many it was a surprise when former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio stepped out onto the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013. His clothes had changed… as had his name.

After more than five weeks in the hospital battling double pneumonia, doctors advised Pope Francis to take two months of rest. However, the Holy Father chose to be among the faithful until his final days. 

Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025—Easter Monday, also called Monday of the Angel. His death, filled with symbolic meaning, reflects a life deeply united with Christ. Here are some "God-incidences" that offer a profound spiritual message.

COMMENTARY: Of all the great basilicas of Rome, the one dedicated to the Blessed Mother was his favorite.

Of the many devotions Pope Francis promoted during his pontificate, perhaps none is better known than his devotion to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots (also referred to as Our Lady, Untier of Knots), whose feast day is observed Sept. 28.

Prisoners always held a special place in Pope Francis’ heart, and he demonstrated his love for them throughout his pontificate, until the end.

The Catholic personal prelature Opus Dei has significantly reduced the scope of its two-week general congress that began this week due to the death of Pope Francis two days before the assembly’s scheduled start date.

Following the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican has announced which cardinals will offer the traditional “Novendialies” Masses — nine days of mourning marked by solemn Masses offered for the repose of the soul of the deceased pope.

Like his post-Vatican II predecessors, Pope Francis prioritized outreach to non-Catholics, fostering dialogue and Christian unity throughout his 12-year pontificate, marked by several historic ecumenical moments.

Father Arturo Sosa, SJ, superior general of the Society of Jesus, reflected on the first Jesuit pope in a press conference on Thursday, saying Francis “did not seek to please everyone” or to measure himself by a popularity index.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu is reportedly seeking to participate in the upcoming conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor despite having been stripped of his cardinalatial privileges in 2020 and later convicted of financial crimes.

Pope Francis will be buried at St. Mary Major's: Who are the popes buried outside Vatican Walls?

Having cared for the aging Pope Francis as his personal nurse since 2022, Italian nurse Massimiliano Strappetti was among the few people who saw the Holy Father moments before his death on Easter Monday.