Huge crowds of mourners and dozens of world leaders gathered in Saint Peter's Square on Saturday for the funeral of Pope Francis, who died on Monday aged 88 after 12 years at the helm of the Catholic Church.
The Vatican has said are 160 delegations are attending, including approximately 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns.
US President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky are among them.
Around 250,000 people queued for hours to pay homage to the late Argentine pontiff during the lying in state of his remains between Wednesday and Friday in St Peter's Basilica, and a similar number are expected to attend the funeral.
Shortly after 9am local time, Rome police said 140,000 people were already in the area of St Peter's for the funeral, which starts at 10am.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni was among the officials to pay their respects on Wednesday.
Francis's remains will be laid to rest in Rome's Saint Mary Major Basilica on Saturday after his funeral.
The late pontiff would always go to Saint Mary Major to pray before and after every apostolic journey he went on and he asked to buried there, not in St Peter's like most other popes, in his testament.
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