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Euronews
Euronews
Gerardo Fortuna

St Peter's Square closes to the public ahead of Pope Francis' funeral on Saturday

The roads to St Peter's Square have been closed on Friday afternoon, and only the last visitors remain in line to pay their respects to Pope Francis, after he passed away on Monday at the age of 88.

Meanwhile, the first of more than 100 delegations from around the world have already arrived in Rome, ahead of the late pontiff's funeral scheduled for Saturday at 10 am CEST.

Among those expected in the Italian capital are top European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

All eyes will also be on US President Donald Trump, as well as his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

So far, 130 official presences have been confirmed, including 10 royals, 50 heads of state, and numerous prime ministers, ministers and ambassadors.

Review our live updates from our reporters in Rome and all across Europe, here on Euronews, and our live blog below.

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