PARIS, FRANCE - APRIL 26, 2025: The French flag was lowered to half-mast at the National Assembly in Paris on Saturday in tribute to Pope Francis, who died on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88. The gesture is part of a nationwide expression of mourning, echoed in many parts of the world. In Rome, thousands gathered around the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and along the procession route ahead of the funeral ceremony on Saturday, April 26. The late pontiff’s coffin will be carried in a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) procession from Vatican City to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, where he will be interred. His funeral Mass, to be held on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica — one of Catholicism’s most sacred sites — is expected to draw more than 50 world leaders and 11 reigning monarchs.