Rome armoured for Pope Francis’ funeral: 182 delegations and over 200,000 people expected

Unprecedented security plan for the funeral on Saturday 26 April: Heads of State, Sovereigns and thousands of faithful present. Private burial in Santa Maria Maggiore

Rome is preparing to welcome the final farewell to Pope Francis with a massive security device that will involve the entire urban area around the Vatican. The funeral will be held on Saturday 26 April in St Peter’s Square, in the presence of 182 foreign delegations, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns. The event will draw more than 200,000 people, in what promises to be one of the most solemn and complex moments for the capital in recent decades.

‘At least a thousand operators between escorts and traffic personnel have been mobilised,’ declared Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, explaining that the plan is part of a context already structured for the Jubilee, with extraordinary measures that will come into effect on the night of 25-26 April.

Particular attention will be paid to air security, with special anti-drone assets from the Air Force and a total ban on overflying the Vatican. On the ground, the city will be divided into five security zones, manned by security forces and checkpoints for filtering the faithful.

At the end of the funeral ceremony, the Pope’s coffin will be taken in a procession to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, along a route that will pass through the Pasi Gallery, the Vittorio Bridge, Piazza Venezia, the Imperial Forum, Via Labicana and Via Merulana. The cortege will only be visible from behind the barriers and will proceed at a walking pace, with a small retinue of cardinals in cars. The burial will be private and not accessible to the public.

In the meantime, the prefect of Rome Lamberto Giannini has reported an ‘exponential growth’ of visits to Santa Maria Maggiore, with 15,000 in attendance on 24 April alone. To facilitate the pilgrims, four maxi-screens will be installed, including two in Piazza Esquilino, where it will be possible to follow the funeral live.

Volunteers will play a crucial role in assisting pilgrims and guarding the gates, while Carabinieri, Guardia di Finanza, State Police, Railway, Traffic and Border Police, as well as the Prison Police, will guarantee the control of incoming flows at the railway stations and airports.

The farewell of Pope Francis will be a historic event, not only for its religious significance, but also for the deployment of forces, the logistical complexity and the strong impact on the city of Rome.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)