VATICAN CITY (APRIL 25, 2025) (ANADOLU-ACCESS ALL) COMPLETE SHOTLIST TO FOLLOW VATICAN CITY - APRIL 25: As thousands of people lined up to pay respect to Pope Francis lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica, polivce in Vatican City on Friday, Apr. 25, security measures across the city have been raised to the highest level ahead of the funeral. Pope Francis' funeral will take place on Saturday, April 26, the Vatican confirmed on Tuesday. The Vatican said the pope's funeral will be held at 10 a.m. local time (0800GMT). The decision comes at cardinals meeting early Tuesday, while the conclave to elect a new pope will begin from May 5. Pope Francis was admitted to a hospital in Rome in February with bronchitis, which developed into bilateral pneumonia. He was discharged after 38 days to continue his recovery in his Vatican residence. He died on Monday at the age of 88. The leader of the Catholic Church was born in Buenos Aires on Dec. 17, 1936, to Italian immigrant parents. He studied in Argentina and later in Germany before being ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969. Over a decade into his papacy, Pope Francis remained a figure of admiration and controversy. He sought to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy, tackle corruption, and address some of the church’s most pressing challenges.