04/25/2025

On the Eve of a Papal Funeral, Rome Prepares

Pope Francis' funeral is expected to be a record-breaking event

As pilgrims and world leaders alike prepare to say goodbye to Pope Francis at his funeral Saturday, Rome is racing to get ready.

The city is blocking off roads and calling in police officers from across the country. It is installing screens for overflow crowds. It is working to slot in an influx of private and government jets escorting kings and queens, prime ministers and presidents. The funeral will have the security concerns of a United Nations assembly and the crowd scale of a massive music festival — and it is taking place with less than a week's notice, following Francis' death on Monday at age 88.

"It is an activity, as you have seen in recent days, that is particularly complex," said Fabio Ciciliano, the head of Italy’s civil protection service.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.