Pope Francis buried after funeral attended by world leaders, royals and 400,000 mourners

Sunday, 27 April 2025

Heads of state and dignitaries gathered at St. Mary Major Basilica for the funeral of Pope Francis, joining thousands of faithful paying their final respects.

Over the last few days, more than 250 thousand people visited the pope at St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican to pay their respects.

His coffin was sealed ahead of his state funeral at St Peter’s Square, which started at 8pm NZ time.

The Vatican earlier said 164 delegations would attend the funeral, including 54 heads of state and 12 reigning sovereigns.

New Zealand was represented by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and senior Catholic Cardinal John Dew, the latter will be the only Kiwi to take part in the conclave to elect a new pope.