Vatican City, April 26 (ANI): The Requiem Mass for Pope Francis has begun, with the main service starting at 10 am (local time) in Rome. A Requiem Mass is a special Catholic prayer held for someone who has passed away.

World leaders including US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, are attending the funeral.

From India, President Droupadi Murmu, along with Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, and Minister of State George Kurian, along with Goa's Deputy Speaker, Joshua De Souza, are attending the funeral.

Earlier on Friday evening, the Vatican formally ended the lying in state of Pope Francis, sealing his coffin during a private religious ceremony inside St. Peter's Basilica after three days of public mourning attended by around 250,000 visitors, CNN reported.

Pope Francis, who was the first pontiff from Latin America and the first from the Jesuit order, had requested simpler funeral rites. In keeping with his wishes, his body was placed in a single wooden coffin, foregoing the traditional triple-layered coffins of cypress, lead, and oak that had been used in previous papal funerals.

The rite was led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, who oversees funeral arrangements following the death of a pope. Farrell, a Dublin-born cleric and naturalised American citizen, previously served as Bishop of Dallas.

Other church officials, including a Venezuelan archbishop, a Brazilian prelate, and the personal secretaries of Pope Francis, assisted him. Cardinal Roger Mahony, retired Archbishop of Los Angeles, who has faced criticism over his handling of clerical abuse cases, also participated, according to the Vatican press office. Some of the late pope's family members were present for the ceremony, reported CNN.

The coffin sealing ceremony was conducted in private, featuring short hymns, spoken prayers, and a moment of silent reflection. Cardinal Farrell placed a white silk veil over the pope's face and sprinkled the body with holy water, following Vatican protocol. The pope's pallium, coins minted during his pontificate, and a deed summarising the main events of his papacy were placed inside the coffin before it was sealed. The rite concluded with a hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Following the ceremony, the Vatican announced that a prayer vigil would be maintained through the night by the Chapter of St. Peter's Basilica, ahead of the funeral Mass scheduled for Saturday morning. The funeral, which will begin at 10 am local time (4 am ET) on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, will also mark the start of the Novendiales -- nine days of mourning during which daily funeral Masses are held at the basilica. (ANI)