Pope Francis remembered with massive, historic funeral

VATICAN CITY - The world is saying goodbye to Pope Francis, five days after the pontiff died at 88 years old following a stroke. 

Francis, the first Latin American pope in history, was known for charming the world with his humble style and concern for the poor. 

Until Friday, Francis had been lying in state in a simple wooden coffin inside St. Peter’s Basilica. The Vatican kept the doors open all night due to higher-than-expected turnout from mourners across the globe. 

RELATED: Doctor recalls Pope Francis' final moments in new interview

Here are the latest updates from Vatican City: 

7:06 a.m. ET - Burial later on Saturday

Pope Francis’ coffin arrived at St. Mary Major Basilica, where he will be buried in a private ceremony later Saturday.

It was met by about 40 migrants, prisoners, homeless and transgender people each holding a white rose. Their inclusion was emblematic of his care for the marginalized. Francis is the first pope to be buried outside of the Vatican in 100 years.

6:30 a.m. ET - Pope Francis transported to burial site

The pope's coffin has been moved to the popemobile to make its way across Rome to Francis’ burial place in St. Mary Major.

Tens of thousands of people lined the streets to watch. 

6:21 a.m. ET - Funeral mass ends

Pope Francis’ funeral Mass has ended, and cardinals have filed back into St. Peter’s Basilica.

The crowd applauded as white-gloved pallbearers lifted the pope’s coffin to bring it back inside the basilica. 

4:50 a.m. ET - Pope Francis eulogized

Francis was remembered as a "pope among the people" in his funeral Mass, which was given by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

He recalled the last image many people have of Francis was of him delivering what would become his final blessing on Easter Sunday, and saluting from the popemobile in the same piazza where his funeral was being celebrated.

RELATED: Pope Francis funeral homily: Watch and read full transcript

4:42 a.m. ET - About 200,000 people attend

The Vatican said about 200,000 people have flocked to Pope Francis’ funeral mass. The brief statement did not specify if that was in St. Peter’s Square alone.

Mourners were lined up along Via della Conciliazione, which leads up to the Vatican, and followed the Mass on big screens in public squares in Rome, including outside the Santa Maria Major Basilica.

4:07 a.m. ET - Pope Francis’ funeral begins at St. Peter's Square

3:33 a.m. ET - Trump arrives at Pope Francis' funeral

President Trump arrived with his wife, Melania. He is among more than 50 heads of state and other dignitaries attending, including former President Joe Biden and former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. 

What to know about Pope Francis’ funeral 

What we know:

The funeral for Pope Francis began at 10 a.m. local time in Vatican City, which was 4 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast and 1 a.m on the West Coast.

At Francis’ funeral, after the public viewing, a plain white cloth was placed over the pope’s face as he lied in the oak coffin, a continuing part of papal funerals. But this was the first time that only a single coffin was used; it likely contained a document describing his pontificate and a bag of coins from his pontificate as well.

The funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Peter’s with a crowd of some 200,000 believers outside, assembled on the plaza. The homily reflected on the life and spirituality of the deceased pope. The current dean of the College of Cardinals, 91-year-old Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, presided over Francis’ funeral Mass. 

RELATED: Pope Francis funeral homily: Watch and read full transcript

Masses will continue to be said in Francis’ memory for nine days after his death – a period called the Novendialis. This ritual was inspired by an ancient Roman tradition prescribing a mourning period ending on the ninth day after a death.

Who attended Pope Francis’ funeral?

Tens of thousands of mourners have already waited hours in line to bid farewell to Pope Francis. A higher-than-expected turnout prompted the Vatican to extend the basilica's opening hours overnight.

By Friday evening, more than 250,000 people had filed past Francis' open coffin placed in front of the basilica’s main altar to pay their respects. 

But world leaders were in the spotlight on Saturday. Among the foreign dignitaries confirmed for the papal funeral were:

• President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump
• Former President Joe Biden and former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and first lady Olena Zelenska
• French President Emmanuel Macron
• British Prime Minister Keir Starmer
• Prince William
• Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia
• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
• Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Where will Pope Francis be buried? 

What's next:

Following the funeral service, Francis’ body was taken to St. Peter’s Basilica before being entombed at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major, where seven other popes are buried. He will be buried in an undecorated tomb with "Franciscus" inscribed on it.  

After a few final prayers and sprinkling of holy water, the coffin was placed in its final location inside the church. Only later will the area be opened to the public for prayers and veneration.

When does the conclave start?

Big picture view:

After a period of mourning, cardinals will gather to elect the next pope.

A start date has not yet been confirmed, but tradition says the conclave must begin 15-20 days after the "sede vacante" is declared, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree.

The cardinals will vote in secret sessions, and the ballots will be burned in a special stove after each session. Black smoke indicates no pope has been elected, while white smoke says the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church.

Any baptized Catholic male is eligible, though only cardinals have been selected since 1378. The winner must receive at least two-thirds of the vote from those cardinals under age 80 and thus eligible to participate.

RELATED: Who could be the next pope? A look at some top names

Francis appointed the vast majority of electors, often tapping men who share his pastoral priorities, which suggests continuity rather than rupture.

While it's impossible to predict who the next pope will be, some cardinals are considered to have better chances than others.

How to watch Pope Francis’ funeral

Watch live:

LiveNow from FOX will have full coverage of Pope Francis' funeral Saturday. You can watch it live in the video player above, or wherever you stream. 

LiveNOW from FOX streams for free on the FOX LOCAL app available through Apple TV, Amazon FireTV, Roku and Google Android TV. It also streams for free on YouTube, Freevee, Amazon News, Plex, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi and Vizio. LiveNow from FOX is also available on YouTube TV, Xumo and fuboTV.

• 3 a.m. ET: Funeral coverage begins on LiveNow from FOX
• 4 a.m. ET: Funeral starts (it's expected to last two to three hours)
• 9 a.m. ET: LiveNow from FOX will air a full, uninterrupted replay of the funeral service

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