Pope Francis’s coffin was closed on Friday night ahead of his funeral on Saturday. More than 250,000 faithful had been to say their goodbyes since Wednesday in St. Peter’s Basilica. The rite was presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.

Argentine President Javier Milei and his delegation arrived in Rome on Friday to personally attend the funeral, which will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time. It will be attended by some 130 delegations, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning sovereigns. So many people were showing up that the Vatican closed off access to St. Peter’s Square.

Meanwhile, 113 cardinals participated in the third General Congregation, where it was decided that Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez would celebrate the Mass of the sixth day of the Novendials, in place of Farrell.

Milei was scheduled to leave on Thursday at 10 p.m. The President had cancelled his entire schedule of activities after decreeing seven days of national mourning in honor of Francis. However, he attended an honorary doctorate ceremony for Spanish economist Jesús Huerta de Soto, whom he admires, delaying departure by two hours.

The delay meant he arrived after the casket was closed. Milei called journalists who commented on the delay “brutes” with “a very severe IQ deficit.”

The president flew with his sister and Secretary General of the Presidency Karina Milei, Chief of Staff Guillermo Francos, presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni, Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein, Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, and Human Capital Minister Sandra Pettovello. Nahuel Sotelo, Worship and Civilization Secretary, had been in Rome since Tuesday.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron paid their respects at the coffin of Pope Francis on Friday at St. Peter’s Basilica. U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Rome on Friday to attend the funeral of Pope Francis, in his first trip abroad since returning to power.

Javier Milei’s relationship with the pope

Milei had a stormy relationship with Francis. Before taking power, the president called him “the representative of the evil one” and a zurdo (lefty or commie), because of the pontiff’s relationship with social justice. 

However, the pair met after Milei assumed office, and after his passing, Milei said: “Despite differences that seem minor now, it was a true honor to have known him in his kindness and wisdom.”

On Thursday, he described Francis as “the most important Argentine in history.”

How Argentina is mourning Pope Francis

Masses and ceremonies have been held across Argentina since the death of Pope Francis in the early hours of Easter Monday, April 21. There will be a mass in the cathedral of Buenos Aires on Plaza de Mayo at 10 a.m., followed by a march around the square led by the social movements who had close ties with him. 

The Virgen de los Milagros de Caacupé parish will have a lunch at Plaza de Mayo at 1 p.m. They will also do a walk-around of the places the pope used to visit at 2 p.m. The Flores Neighborhood Museum, where Jorge Bergoglio was born and raised, will pay homage to him on Saturday at 4.30 p.m.