The Catholic world bids farewell to Pope Francis on Saturday, April 26. The ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. local time (11:00 a.m. Bulgarian time) on April 26 at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

Francis, 88, died on April 21 of a stroke, less than a month after returning home from a five-week hospital stay battling bilateral pneumonia.

The Argentine-born pope, who had long suffered from poor health, ignored doctors' advice by appearing in public on Easter Sunday, April 20. That was his last public appearance.

Condolences poured in from around the world for the death of Francis, an energetic reformer who, for 12 years, served as an example to 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, defending people on the margins of society.

He used his last speech to oppose those who incite "contempt for the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants."

The Vatican announced that 130 foreign delegations have confirmed their attendance at the funeral, including Argentine President Javier Milei and Britain's Prince William, many of whom began arriving early on April 25. US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania will attend the funeral ceremony. The Bulgarian government delegation is led by Prime Minister Rosen Plevneliev.

Over 150,000 people paid their last respects to the pontiff by April 25.

The wooden coffin, in which the pope lies with a red naucular, a white miter, and black shoes, with a rosary wrapped around his fingers, will be closed at a ceremony at 8:00 p.m. (9:00 p.m. Bulgarian time).

More than 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs are expected to attend the funeral, as well as around 200,000 mourners.

Francis' coffin will be taken for burial to his favorite church, the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

The hearse will pass through Rome's Fori Imperiali, where the city's ancient temples are located, and past the Colosseum.

Large screens will be set up along the route to show the ceremony, Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said.

The pope was a defender of the poor, and a group of "poor and needy" people will be at Santa Maria Maggiore to welcome the coffin, the Vatican said.

He will be buried in the ground, and only one word will be written on the tomb: Francis.

People will be able to visit the tomb from the morning of April 27. After the funeral, all eyes will turn to the process of selecting Francis' successor.

Cardinals from around the world are returning to Rome for the funeral and the conclave. They are meeting every day to discuss the next steps, but have not yet announced a date.

Luxembourg Jesuit Jean-Claude Hollerich, who was a close adviser to Francis, said the conclave would probably begin on May 5 or 6, immediately after the nine days of mourning announced by the Holy See, which ends on May 4.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote. There are about 135 of them.

Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was number two after Francis, is the favorite, according to the Italian press.

He is ahead of Filipino Luis Antonio Tagle, honorary metropolitan of Manila, followed by Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson and Matteo Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna. | BGNES