How to watch Pope Francis's funeral - UK channels and what time does will service take place?
The funeral of Pope Francis is set to take place this weekend, with millions of catholics across the globe set to pay their respects.
Pope Francis died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday (April 21). It was confirmed that the Pope died after suffering from a stroke, which in turn led to a coma, and irreversible heart failure.
Condolences have poured in from world leaders following the death of Pope Francis. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement: “Pope Francis was a pope for the poor, the downtrodden and the forgotten. He was close to the realities of human fragility, meeting Christians around the world facing war, famine, persecution and poverty. Yet he never lost the faith-fuelled hope of a better world.
“With his death, we are reminded once more of his call to care for one another across different faiths, backgrounds, nations and beliefs.”
King Charles also paid tribute, saying in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “His Holiness will be remembered for his compassion, his concern for the unity of the Church and for his tireless commitment to the common causes of all people of faith, and to those of goodwill who work for the benefit of others. … The Queen and I remember with particular affection our meetings with His Holiness over the years and we were greatly moved to have been able to visit him earlier in the month.”
Attention has now turned to the funeral of Pope Francis. Here’s how you can watch the historic moment from the UK.
What time will Pope Francis’s funeral begin?
The funeral service of Pope Francis will take place at St Peter’s Basilica in The Vatican at 9am UK time. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and The Prince Of Wales will be among representative from the UK in attendance at the historic event.
Will Pope Francis’s funeral be on TV?
Multiple channels will be covering the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday morning.
The BBC’s coverage, hosted by newsreader Reeta Chakrabarti, will begin at 8.30am. The programme is scheduled to end at 12.30pm.
Sky News will also be broadcasting live from Rome for the event. The programme will be hosted by Anna Botting, who will be joined by Major General Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, the former governor of Edinburgh Castle, for commentary on the event. Sky News’s coverage will begin at 7am and continue until 1pm.
A livestream of the event will also be shown on ITV streaming site ITVX.
The Vatican’s official YouTube channel will also be live-streaming the event. The current livestream is broadcasting as thousands of mourners visit the Pope’s open casket.