Will Pope Francis’ Funeral Be Televised? How to Watch the Services

One day after Pope Francis died at the age of 88, information about his upcoming funeral has been revealed. The pope will be laid to rest in a traditional Catholic ceremony following his Monday, April 21, death.

Pope Francis died one day after he delivered his Easter blessing. His cause of death was confirmed to be “cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.” Earlier this year, he was hospitalized for more than a month amid a pneumonia diagnosis.”

“Previous episode of acute respiratory failure in bilateral multimicrobial pneumonia, multiple bronchiectasis, arterial hypertension, and type II diabetes” also contributed to the pope’s death.

Scroll down for everything to know about Pope Francis’ funeral, including when and where it will take place, how to watch, and more.

When is Pope Francis’ funeral?

The funeral mass will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. local time (4:00 a.m. ET), per the Vatican News.

Where is Pope Francis’ funeral?

Francis’ funeral will take place in St. Peter’s Square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. After the service, his body will be taken to St. Peter’s Basilica before it’s entombed at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

Prior to the funeral, supporters will have the opportunity to pay their respects to Pope Francis beginning on Wednesday, April 23. The coffin containing his body will be carried to St. Basilica from Casa Santa Marta and the rite of translation will begin with a moment of prayer at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday. The procession will then head through Santa Marta Square and the Square of Roman Protomartyrs before exiting through the Arch of the Bells into St. Peter’s Square and entering the Vatican Basilica.

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Pope Francis Dies Hours After Blessing Easter Sunday Crowds

The pope will be buried at St. Mary Major, making him the first pontiff in more than 100 years not to be laid to rest in St. Peter’s Basilica, according to BBC News. This was the pope’s decision, which he confirmed in 2023.

Will the pope’s funeral be televised?

The funeral will be televised on major news networks. NBC News confirmed that it will be broadcasting live coverage of the proceedings, which will also be available to stream on Peacock. BBC News is also expected to broadcast live coverage from Rome on its website.

MSNBC will be airing the funeral and Chris Jansing’s new show, Chris Jansing Reports, will be broadcasting live from the Vatican all week long from 1 to 3 p.m. ET.

CBS News’ funeral coverage will begin at 3 a.m. ET on April 26. Norah O’Donnell and John Dickerson will anchor the funeral of Pope Francis and there will be ongoing coverage throughout the day.

ABC News also confirmed that the network will be providing live coverage of the event, which will begin at 3:30 a.m. ET. NewsNation will be airing special coverage of the funeral from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. ET, hosted by Connell McShane.

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