What Time Does Pope Francis’ Funeral Start? Here’s How To Watch

Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle (R) attends a rosary prayer next to a portrait of late … More Pope Francis at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica in Rome on April 24, 2025. The Vatican on April 24 said some 61,000 people had already paid their respects to Pope Francis, whose body is lying in state in St Peter’s Basilica ahead of his funeral. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP) (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

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This weekend marks another significant moment in the wake of Pope Francis’ death. Millions around the world will have the chance to pay their respects during his funeral, which will take place on Saturday, April 26. What time does the service start, and how can you watch it live and throughout the day?

Pope Francis’ funeral will be held in St. Peter’s Square, in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Ahead of the ceremony, photos released by the Vatican showed the Pope lying in state at his residence, Casa Santa Marta. His body was then moved to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, where it will remain until the funeral this weekend.

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Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, will lead Saturday’s funeral Mass. Following the service, a nine-day mourning period will take place. After that, Pope Francis’ body will be taken to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for entombment, rather than the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, where many of his predecessors are laid to rest.

Read on to discover how to watch Pope Francis’ funeral, including the official start time, where to stream it live, and which cable networks and streaming services will provide coverage.

What Time Does The Pope’s Funeral Start?

This photograph shows Pope Francis’ coffin (Bottom L) as he lies in state with French nun Genevieve … More Jeanningros (C) paying her respects during a ceremony inside St Peter’s Basilica following the procession of the late Pope’s coffin from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican on April 23, 2025. The Pope died of a stroke, the Vatican announced hours after the death on April 21, 2025, of the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church. (Photo by Alessandro DI MEO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ALESSANDRO DI MEO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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Pope Francis’ funeral is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. ET / 1 a.m. PT) on Saturday, April 26.

How To Watch The Pope’s Funeral On Cable

People queue on St Peter’s Square and Via della Conciliazione street to pay their respects to late … More Pope Francis as he lies in state at St Peter’s Basilica, viewed in the background in The Vatican, on April 24, 2025. The Vatican said on April 24, 2025, that nearly 50,000 people had so far paid their respects to Pope Francis, whose body is lying in state at St Peter’s Basilica for three days before his funeral. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP) (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images)

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Major news outlets like NBC, CNN, ABC, and CBS will broadcast the funeral live. If you don’t have cable, you can stream the event through live TV services that carry major news channels, such as DirecTV Stream, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, YouTube TV — all of which are offering free trials.

How To Watch The Pope’s Funeral On Streaming

The ceremony with Pope Francis’ body, who lies in state at St. Peter’s Basilica for three days, … More passes through the crowd at the Vatican on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Marco Calvarese/POOL/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Pope Francis’ funeral will also stream live on The New York Times, Disney+, Hulu, Peacock as well as the Vatican News YouTube channel.

How Did Pope Francis Die?

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN – NOVEMBER 15: (EDITOR NOTE: STRICTLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY – NO MERCHANDISING). … More Pope Francis attends his weekly General Audience at St. Peter’s Square on November 15, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican. As has now become customary at the end of his General Audiences, Pope Francis turned his thoughts to the many nations suffering the tragedy of war. He asked for prayers for peace “every day” and “wherever there is war”. (Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

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Pope Francis, who was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88. According to the Vatican, his death was caused by a stroke that led to a coma and irreversible heart failure. The Pope had been dealing with serious health issues and was hospitalized for 38 days in February and March with bilateral pneumonia and bronchitis.

“At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement shared by the Vatican on Monday. “He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and the marginalized.”

Less than 24 hours before his death, the Pontiff made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, greeting crowds in St. Peter’s Square and riding through in his popemobile. Vice President JD Vance also visited the Pope on Sunday, making him one of the last officials to meet with Francis.

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Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2025/04/25/what-time-does-pope-francis-funeral-start-heres-how-to-watch/