It’s a second marriage for him.

Pope Leo appeared to encourage a well-wisher to throw the gift over after spotting them offering it to him.

The new pope becomes the leader of the Catholic Church today.

It’s the Italian capital, but not as you know it.

Who is the new Pope? The first American to take on the role.

A new Pope has been chosen by the conclave.

What happens with the black smoke, white smoke, and a top secret conclave of cardinals?

The race is now on for the top job.

The reason why women can’t become the Pope can be traced back to a simple reason: women can’t become priests.

The reason why women can’t become the Pope can be traced back to a simple reason: women can’t become priests.

‘Is that smoke black or white?’

‘Is that smoke black or white?’

The Cardinal was also once a papal contender in the last conclave in 2013 due to his extensive church contacts in Africa and Europe.

The race is now on for the top job.

His obituary described him as a ‘simple and much-loved shepherd’.

A moment of history is unfolding in the Vatican City as an estimated 1.4 billion Catholics are preparing to bid farewell to Pope Francis during his final journey today.

For the first time in more than a decade, the world will watch the funeral of a pontiff – not one who resigned, but one who died in office – and crucially, one who broke Catholic convention by accepting LGBTQ+ couple.

It is one of the most significant moments in recent Catholic history – and one that will be remembered for generations to come.

Metro is on the ground in the heart of the Vatican, so follow along with us from St Peter’s Square.

What is the mood in the Vatican?

As clouds clear above the cobblestones of St Peter’s Square, the gates are overwhelmed with the crowds of mourners pouring from all directions.

Some are clutching rosaries, small flags and pictures of Francis, but most are armed with cameras and selfie sticks.

It is a well-oiled security operation by now – despite all the logistics. Official entry points, luggage scanners, checks every few metres. The perimetre is locked down and thousands of officers from Swiss Guards, Carabinieri andvarious branches of the Italian military are ensuring the safety.

For now, everyone’s eyes are peeled on the gates of St Peter’s Basilica from where Francis will begin his final journey. The weight of what is to come in the next few hours is hanging in the air.

Outside its walls, hundreds of thousands of people are lining the streets in the Italian capital to say goodbye to the pontiff and the number is expected to rise closer to the funeral.

For those still hoping to get to a vantage spot in St Peter’s Square, there is a level of anxiety.

Many have travelled from afar, so there is an additional layer of pressure to make the most of this historic moment.

What are the funeral plans? Schedule and route to burial site

The official ceremony will begin with the pope’s coffin being taken out of St Peter’s Basilica and into the square.

The funeral Mass is due to start at 10 am (9am BST) with a choir singing introductory rites in Latin.

Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will deliver the homily and lead the Mass, which is expected to be con-celebrated by 220 cardinals and 750 bishops and priests near the altar, and more than 4,000 other priests con-celebrating in the square.

Francis will then be buried according to his wishes in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, outside the Vatican.

The last pontiff to be buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII, who died in 1903.

The funeral cortege will travel to the basilica at walking pace, for around three hours.

Crowds are expected to gather along the route, which is 3.4 miles long and will pass by many of Rome’s famed monuments, including the Colosseum.

A group of poor people will be present on the steps leading to Mary Major to pay their final respects to Francis, reflecting his devotion to serving the poor and oppressed during his reign.

The burial will be a private service, but visitors to the tomb will be allowed shortly afterwards. The tomb will be inscribed only with the Latin name for Francis, Franciscus.

Who is attending the event?

More than 200,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony in the vast square.

So far, at least 100 foreign delegations are among them, including some 50 heads of state.

Francis’ funeral will be something of a ‘spot the world leader’ game – but it is only a testament to the pope’s legacy and his reach beyond the Catholic Church.

Sir Keir Starmer, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump will soon arrive for the start of the procession after flying in last night.

Kensington Palace confirmed that Prince William will represent the Royal Family in Rome, not King Charles.

Their presence is just one reason why security measures across Rome and especially inside the Vatican is tighter than ever.

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President Trump is expected to arrive later this evening (Picture: Shutterstock; Metro.co.uk)

Another security operation is unfolding in Italy – in secret, far away from the Vatican City – ahead of the arrival of Donald Trump.
…

The break of protocol was permitted for one reason.

Today marks the final chance for people to file through the Vatican City before St Peter’s Basilica closes its Holy doors – and say their goodbyes to Pope Francis.

As dawn breaks over Rome, the queue to see the pontiff’s open coffin is already snaking past the colonnades.

It is a testament to Francis’ legacy after he reshaped the Catholic Church over his 13-year tenure.

All mourners want is a fleeting moment beside the simple wooden coffin of the pontiff under Michelangelo’s golden dome.

Francis has been laid in front of the Papal Altar, stood over by four Swiss Guards – the traditional guard of honour of the papacy.

It is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bear witness to a moment in history to be remembered for generations ahead.

St Peter’s Square had already transformed into a jungle – pilgrims praying, tourists clutching selfie sticks, TV crews rushing to find a vantage filming spot and Vatican volunteers shouting directions in half a dozen languages.

As the 7pm cutoff looms today, tensions are mounting and the atmosphere has shifted dramatically.

Some have come early – before work – to see if they can make it in time, but mostly the crowd is made up of Italians who had travelled from all corners of the world and tourist.

More than 61,000 people have queued to see the pontiff since Wednesday ahead of the funeral, Vatican officials said.

By nightfall yesterday, lines had formed for just under a mile north of the Vatican.

Some pilgrims reported waits – at some points during rainfall – of at least three hours to make it inside.

Late into the night, people were shown running to join the end of the queue for a chance to pay their respects to Francis.

They had left it until the very last minute in the hopes that mostly people would have surrendered and gone home.

St Peter’s Basilica had initially been scheduled to close at midnight on Wednesday but given the size of the crowds, officials kept it open until 5.30am before it reopened at 7am.

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The Hungarian cardinal is one of the top candidates to succeed Francis (Picture: ABACA/REX/Shutterstock)

A hardline stance against LGBTQ+ marriage within the Catholic Church. A gatekeeper of ‘traditional family values’.

And a…

Inside the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome, people are queuing to take selfies in front of an ordinary plywood panel used in construction sites.

As one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches in Italy’s capital, the basilica features stunning 5th-century mosaics, a gilded ceiling and Baroque-era additions.

Considering this, it almost feels embarrassing – at a glance – that pilgrims, tourists and even Italians are paying attention to this oddly placed wooden slab instead of the historic relics surrounding.

Word has spread – this is where Pope Francis’ body will be interred.

Yes, it may look like a building site at the moment – only missing a sign that reads ‘Under Constriction’ – but it will soon be a sacred place for Catholics.

There are less than 48 hours to the pontiff’s funeral when Metro visited the Basilica of St Mary Major, located on the other side of Rome’s Tiber River and near Termini Rail Station.

People from all corners of the world patiently wait in line to photograph the spot.

Some kneel, others pose with a smile stretching across their face, unsure of the tone.

Jose, a Mozambique-born priest now living in Canada, was among those stationed near the plywood. Unlike most, he quietly observed and prayed.

Joined by a group of pilgrims, he arrived in Rome on Monday as part of a scheduled trip for the Jubilee Year.

The death of Francis changed everything for him, leaving him in a state of shock.

Jose told Metro: ‘I feel sad because it is a big loss for not just for Catholics but for the world.

‘Francis was a pope of hop – his message was to bring the hope particle for those who were in need, for women and for people who suffer violence and war.

‘We put our hope in his hands because he was speaking in a language that we hoped to hear.’

For Jose, it is almost a blessing to be in Rome at the time of the pontiff’s death.

He says that the two ‘have kept missing each other’ over the years – once in his homeland Mozambique in September 2019 and then in Canada in July 2022.

The priest had planned to attend Wednesday’s audience with pilgrims in St Peter’s Square to finally meet the Catholic leader.

‘After missing each other twice, I thought, “finally, I will meet him in Rome”, but that was not God’s plan,’ he said.

‘I queued yesterday to see him and to say goodbye. I am so thankful for his teachings. What I do now as a priest is all inspired by him.’

Following the funeral procession on Saturday, Francis’ coffin will be taken from St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City to the Basilica of St Mary Major.

In his will, he gave simple instructions for his burial: ‘The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.’

Francis also said that throughout his life, he had always entrusted himself to the Virgin Mary.

‘For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest – awaiting the day of the Resurrection – in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major,’ he wrote.

Currently, the Basilica of St Mary Major is open to members of the public until the day of the burial.

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Francis paid a surprise visit to Rome’s Regina Coeli last week to offer well-wishes to inmates ahead of Easter.

‘Everything happens for a reason.’ This is what Ashley Tran, 30, told Metro while queuing at St Peter’s Square to say goodbye to Pope Francis.

The Texas native and her fiancé Phuoc Nguyen, 33, flew to Rome on Easter Sunday, expecting a joyful lead-up to their Catholic wedding in the Vatican.

What they did not know is that hours later they would be among the tens of thousands of pilgrims mourning the death of the pontiff.

Inching forward towards St Peter’s Basilica, where Francis is lying in state, they hoped to pay their respects to a pope who had shaped their faith.

This is not how Ashley and Phuoc had pictured the days leading up to their wedding in the Church of St Anne – one of only two in the Vatican.

They had planned to attend the pope’s usual audience with pilgrims in St Peter’s Square that happens every Wednesday, and get a blessing from him, and then depart for a few days of rest at Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

Francis’ death changed all of this. For the couple, it felt right to honour him first, so they delayed everything – wedding planning and their trip – so that they can ‘at least say goodbye’.

Ashley added: ‘I have to see him. I would not say that I am sad – of course, a passing of a life is always sad.

‘But Francis did so much, so this is a celebration of his legacy. He did all he could.

‘I just want to say goodbye and thank him for everything that he has done.

‘He is so beloved, and was such a giving and caring leader, and just such a kind man.’

The bride-to-be said Francis kept her Catholic faith strong, alongside all the values her parents taught her.

She said that in the worst times of her life – when she taught that she was going to lose Phuoc – she turned to God for help.

‘My fiancé was on his deathbed in 2020. Phuoc had less than one percent chance of survival,’ Ashley recalled.

‘We both turned to God, we prayed. And he got better. And that is why I said everything happens for a reason.’

Getting married in the Vatican has been a dream for Ashley for a long time.

What makes it ‘extra special’ is that their ceremony also falls during Jubilee Year.

For a moment, Ashley was concerned that their wedding was going to be cancelled as it is scheduled to happen less than 48 hours after the pope’s funeral.

‘For a second, I was worried. But we are Catholics and everything happens for a reason,’ she explained.

‘If this is the plan, then that is what God wants for us.’

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It is sweltering hot in the Vatican City where tens of thousands of people are lining up to see the remains of Pope Francis.

I am one of them – my hair is stuck to my forehead and droplets of sweat are running down my neck. I have already apologised to at least a dozen people for bumping them with my tripod.

Mourners surrounding me seem more prepared, bringing water, umbrellas to shield from the unforgiving sun – even in the early hours of this morning.

We have been queuing for almost an hour, bodies glued to each other as the procession to lay the pontiff in St Peter’s Basilica is broadcast on big screens across the square.

I am standing shoulder to shoulder with nuns and priests, Italian couples, students on school trips and tourists with cameras dangling around their necks.

Vatican officers are forced to establish another entry point amid a danger of a crowd-crush.

When the gates finally open, it is like a ripple goes through the crowd. Not quite a cheer, not quite a gasp, just a collective sense of relief, anticipation and grief.

It takes another two hours to get to the gate of St Peter’s Basilica. People pass the time by praying, taking pictures and getting to know each other.

I am not Catholic – and I am not sure what I am supposed to feel – but the sense of faith surrounding me is humbling and inspiring at the same time.

Inside the basilica, it is much cooler, but the atmosphere is no less heavy.

Like me, many in the queue recognise that this is a moment in history they will remember and cherish forever.

Ahead of us, lays the coffin of the pontiff, framed by Michelangelo’s dome – a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture – and golden columns.

The sight hits me like a wave. Everyone only has a moment, a millisecond, to catch a glimpse of Francis before his funeral on Saturday in the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome, where he will be entombed.

He chose to be buried at a much smaller basilica, about four miles away, outside the Vatican walls and near Termini station.

Outside, the sun is almost blinding. The queue has swelled to at least 10 times its size.

It curls around St Peter’s Square and beyond, a testament to the pope’s legacy after 12 years as the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City .

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A secretive military unit specialising in drone warfare will be deployed to monitor the sky over Rome and the Vatican during the funeral procession of Pope Francis.

As thousands of mourners descend on St Peter’s Square, Italian authorities are enacting one of the most complex operations in recent Vatican history.

The threat level has quietly been elevated – though not officially – which has prompted a series of heightened security measures across the capital.

Among them is a special unit trained in drone reconnaissance operations typically used in conflict zones.

Franco Fantozzi, senior security adviser at International SOS, revealed to Metro that they will be watching the Italian airspace for potential threats on Saturday.

‘I cannot name the unit – and they are secretive – so they don’t even have a name within the military, but they will be watching the sky for drones,’ he said.

Airspace in Rome and Vatican closed

He also said that a ban on flights of any aircraft will be introduced during the farewell to the pontiff.

With more than 30 years of experience in the Carabinieri, with command roles in units involved in the fight against organised crime and terrorism, Fantozzi can get inside the mind of those policing the Vatican and Rome during the period of religious uncertainty.

Alongside a watchful eye on the sky, authorities will be monitoring River Tiber that flows through the capital and focusing on the crowds made up of pilgrims and tourists.

Security challenges ahead of funeral

Fantozzi stressed that there are several factors raising the threat level – including the timing, as the pope died on Easter Monday, and the overflow of tourists in Rome.

But this time the security challenge also extends beyond the borders of the Vatican.

Unlike his predecessors, Francis will not be laid to rest beneath St Peter’s Basilica in a break with centuries of tradition that represents his legacy as a more liberal leader.

His remains will instead be transported to the Basilica of St Mary Major, on the Esquiline Hill, near Termini train station.

This unusual final journey has triggered additional planning for the various police powers that are taking part in the operation.

Though Italian authorities have not shared official numbers yet, Fantozzi said that thousands more officers – including plainclothes officers will be deployed in the days leading up to the funeral.

This does not seem like an exaggeration as the parametre surrounding the Vatican is already swarmed with officers.

So is virtually every major intersection in Rome, turning traffic into a long nightmare.

This also means that every step during Francis’ last journey will be under the watch of Vatican Gendarmerie, the Swiss Guard, and elite Italian units.

Currently, the Italian government has the threat level of a terrorist attack in Italy as ‘medium/high’, also known as Level 2.

Past incidents during papal funerals

While there have been no such incidents during papal funerals in recent memory, the risk profile is always high.

The funeral of Pope John Paul II in April 2005 drew more than four million people to Rome and was one of the largest gatherings of heads of state outside the UN.

Security appeared watertight, but about three hours after the funeral, an Italian F-16 fighter jet intercepted a suspicious plane heading to Rome’s Ciampino airport.

The aircraft was forced to land after intelligence sources warned it was carrying a bomb, but this later proved false.

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