Francis died on April 26 at 88 years old.
Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, will be buried Saturday at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major after dying one week ago at 88 years old.
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.
Watch ABC News' live coverage of the funeral for Pope Francis now on ABC stations and streaming on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
Tap on the blue circle to take a look at photos from the funeral for Pope Francis.
American Kielce Gussie, who works as a journalist at Vatican News, did the first reading in English -- several verses from the Acts of the Apostles -- at the funeral of Pope Francis.
Gussie, originally from Florida, completed her undergraduate degree in theology at Mount St. Mary's University.
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As the funeral of Pope Francis began, a choir was heard singing an antiphon in Latin, a short verse which is traditionally sung or recited in Christian liturgical ritual.
An open Book of the Gospels was then placed on top of Pope Francis' coffin as the service started.
Tens of thousands flocked to the funeral in a packed St. Peter's Square, which Francis choreographed himself when he revised and simplified the Vatican's rites and rituals last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Pallbearers carried the coffin of Pope Francis, adorned with just a crucifix and his coat of arms, down the central aisle of St. Peter's Basilica and out into the square at the start of his funeral.
Cardinals in rich red robes formed a double line in St. Peter's Basilica, flanking the coffin as it was carried into the square, where the crowd erupted in applause in a sign of respect.
A mostly calm crowd that has gathered in St. Peter's Square on Saturday morning broke out into applause when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared on the screens dotted around the square.
Zelenskyy is sitting with many other world leaders and dignitaries who have made their way from around the world to say goodbye to Pope Francis.
