Pope Francis in Dublin in 2018.Getty Images

The funeral Mass for Pope Francis, who died on Monday, April 21, will be held on Saturday, April 26.

Pope Francis' funeral Mass, which begins at 10 am local time on Saturday, will be broadcast via various platforms worldwide, Vatican News has confirmed.

The Dicastery for Communication, parent organization of Vatican News, will provide live radio and television commentary in 15 languages and four sign languages.

Television coverage, provided by the Vatican Television Center - Vatican Media, will include aerial and ground video of both St. Peter’s Square and the entire route to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

Multimedia coverage will be offered in 56 languages - the same used across the platforms of Vatican News, Vatican Radio, and L’Osservatore Romano.

Broadcast channels and platforms for the funeral of Pope Francis:

Details of the funeral for Pope Francis

While the Holy See confirmed on Tuesday that the funeral Mass for Pope Francis will be held at 10 am on Saturday, marking the first day of the Novendali, further details have since been shared about the ceremony.

The funeral Mass for Pope Francis will be held on the parvis of St. Peter's Basilica, where the late Pontiff's wooden and zinc coffin will be placed on the forecourt, just in front of the altar, Vatican News reported on Friday.

The funeral liturgy will be presided over by His Reverend Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.

The celebration will be accompanied by the Choir of the Sistine Chapel.

April 25, 2025: The queue files past the late Pope Francis in Vatican City, Vatican. (Getty Images)

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After the funeral Mass, the coffin of Pope Francis will be taken to St. Peter’s Basilica, and from there to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major for burial, as per his indications. The procession will cover a distance of about four kilometers through the streets of the capital at a slow pace.

Upon arriving at the Liberian Basilica, the coffin will be welcomed by “the last ones,” a group of poor and marginalized people who, Vatican News says, always had a special place in Pope Francis' heart. They will be the ones to give the final tribute before the coffin is carried to the altar of Saint Mary Major.

The burial will take place privately. The Cardinal Camerlengo, Kevin Farrell, a native of Dublin, will mark the pontifical coffin with his seal, along with those of the Prefecture of the Papal Household, the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, and the Liberian Chapter.

The remains of Pope Francis will be laid in the tomb and sprinkled with holy water.

After the Regina Cæli prayer, the notary of the Liberian Chapter will draw up the official act confirming the burial and will read it aloud to those present. The act will be signed by the Camerlengo Cardinal, the Regent of the Papal Household, the Master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations, and finally the notary.

The ceremony is expected to end around 2 pm local time.

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It is expected that several hundred thousand people will pay their final respects at the Vatican on Saturday.

Delegations from at least 130 countries and international organizations are expected, including 12 reigning monarchs and 55 heads of State, 14 heads of Government, and other high officials.

Among them are Ireland's President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and Tánaiste Simon Harris, as well as Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill.

To cover the event, more than 4,000 journalists have requested accreditation from the Holy See.

Meanwhile, Vatican officials said that as of noon on Friday,  around 150,000 people have paid their respects to the late Pope in St. Peter’s Basilica.

April 25, 2025: President of Ireland Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina pay their respects at the Vatican.

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How to watch Pope Francis' funeral in Ireland

RTÉ will air live coverage on television, radio, and online on Saturday,

Beginning at 8:30 am on RTÉ One and RTE Player, David McCullagh and Sharon Ní Bheoláin will present a special programme featuring coverage of the funeral of Pope Francis at St Peter's Basilica in Rome. Áine Lawlor and Fr Michael Collins will provide commentary of the ceremony.

On RTÉ Radio 1, special coverage of the funeral of the Pope will be presented by Dearbhail McDonald from 8:30 am. Colm Ó Mongáin and Fr Thomas McCarthy will provide live radio commentary.

Detailed online news reporting, along with video and audio coverage, will be available on the RTÉ News App and RTE.ie

The RTÉ News channel will broadcast wider coverage of events from early morning.

How to watch Pope Francis' funeral in Northern Ireland

BBC News will be broadcasting the funeral on its website and app, and it will also be available on the iPlayer.

On BBC One, newsreader Reeta Chakrabarti will present the broadcaster’s coverage, with a BBC News special beginning at 8:30 am on Saturday and scheduled to continue until 12:30 pm.

Meanwhile, according to the PA, Sky News presenter Anna Botting will be live from Rome, with commentary from the former governor of Edinburgh Castle, Major General Alastair Bruce of Crionaich.

The broadcast begins at 7 am and will last until 1 pm, with Sky News Europe correspondent Adam Parsons live from St Peter’s Square, and specialist correspondent Lisa Holland broadcasting from the Via della Conciliazione, the main boulevard leading to the square.

ITV said it will have a live stream on its online platform ITVX during the day.

How to watch Pope Francis' funeral in the US

Like other major international broadcasters, viewers in the US will be able to follow coverage of the funeral on Saturday on NBC and Peacock, CBS and Paramount+, and ABC News, Disney+, and Hulu.