Francis, who took his name after Saint Francis of Assisi, was known for his outreach to the poor and those in poverty and that will be reflected in his minimalist burial at Saint Mary Major. He is the first pope to be buried outside the Vatican in over a century and the first to be buried at Santa Maria Maggiore in more than 300 years.

Pope Francis's funeral begins at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern, 1 a.m. Pacific) at the Vatican, outside St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony is presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.

Guests at the Vatican service were told of the Pope's call to "build bridges", as Trump and Zelensky were pictured meeting inside St Peter's Basilica.