What music will be played at the funeral of Pope Francis?

25 April 2025, 17:08 | Updated: 25 April 2025, 17:12

As the world pays its respects to the late head of the Catholic church, we reflect on the music and musicians that will be heard at his funeral.

The funeral of Pope Francis will take place this Saturday 26 April.

We know from his final testament, and previous statements in his autobiography, that the funeral will be more modest than past papal farewells. Pope Francis expressed wishes to simplify and adapt the rituals of the ceremonies themselves, as well as requirements for a simpler wooden coffin, and burial outside the Vatican in a simple tomb, following a funeral “of a pastor and disciple of Christ, and not of a powerful person in this world.”

And we know from interviews, and his famed frequent trips to record stores, that he loved music. “Among musicians, I love Mozart,” he said in a 2013 interview. “The ‘Et incarnatus est’ from his Mass in C minor is matchless; it lifts you to God!”

Pope Francis’ music library, curated by Cardinal Ravasi, is the home of over 2,000 CDs and 19 vinyl records, among which are albums by Édith Piaf and Elvis Presley as well as Wagner, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Piazzolla and Pärt from the revered performers and conductors Pope Francis loved.

But what music can we expect at his funeral?

Read more: Pope Francis reveals he loves Bach’s Passions and Italian classical-pop

What music will be played at the funeral of Pope Francis?

The Vatican released the full programme on Friday 25 April on its website. The order of service is 87 pages long, contains the service in English, Italian and Latin, and takes the structure of a Catholic mass:

• The Introductory Rites. These set the tone and bring the community together.
• The Liturgy of the Word. A time to listen and reflect on God’s word through scripture.
• The Liturgy of the Eucharist. The bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.
• The Communion Rite. Bread and wine are shared to commemorate the Last Supper and Christ’s sacrifice.
• Final Commendation and Farewell. A final blessing from the priest.

The ceremony is based on The Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis (Rite of Burial for Roman Pontiffs), a liturgical book that outlines the rites that take place before and during the Pope’s funeral.

The rites, formed around the Requiem Mass, incorporate liturgical music, including sublime Gregorian chant, hymns and sacred polyphony, sung in Latin. In the order of service, the psalms are all written in neumes – an early form of musical notation used primarily for Gregorian chant.

The funeral, which is confirmed to take place outdoors in St Peter’s Square in front of the Basilica in Vatican City, will likely begin with the tolling of mourning bells from the Basilica.

The Litany of the Saints, a formal prayer of the Roman Catholic Church, is traditionally sung during the procession of the Pope’s coffin.

Read more: 10 beautiful pieces of classical music for funerals

Who will perform at Pope Francis’ funeral?

Previous Popes’ funerals have featured the The Sistine Chapel Choir, which is the Pope’s personal choir, singing the stunning polyphony and chant that grounds the funeral mass.

The 2005 funeral of Pope John Paul II, the largest-attended funeral at its time in history, featured the choir, directed by Giuseppe Liberto, and accompanied by organist James Goettsche. And the funeral of of Pope Benedict XVI in 2023 also featured the revered choir.

The Sistine Chapel Choir, which has released several acclaimed recordings, is currently directed by Marcos Pavan, who was appointed in 2020.

What is The Sistine Chapel Choir, the Pope’s personal choir?

The Sistine Chapel Choir has existed for 1,500 years, and is the oldest choir in the world still in operation.

The Choir, which is officially the Pope’s personal choir, performs at official papal celebrations and functions attended by the Pope, often at St. Peter’s Basilica and The Sistine Chapel, as well as in concerts around the world that celebrate the Pope.

The Choir has 20 permanent adult singers, with 35 boy singers, the Pueri Cantores, at any time, and they attend the Schola Puerorum, a free school, as part of their membership.

Famous composers, including Allegri and Palestrina, have been members of the choir, as well as singers famous in their own rights, like the famous castrato opera singer, Giovanni Cesari, who died in 1904.

Read more: Choristers sing Allegri’s haunting ‘Miserere’ in empty St Paul’s cathedral

Which classical composers have been inspired by the Catholic Requiem Mass?

The Catholic Mass may be familiar to lovers of classical music due to its use in the large and revered works of several composers.

Mozart’s famous Requiem is a setting of the Latin liturgical texts of the Requiem Mass, as is Britten’s War Requiem, and the Requiems of Fauré, Verdi and Duruflé. And works including Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis in D Major and Bruckner’s Masses.

Other composers, from Bach to Howells, have looked to the masses of non-Catholic religious denominations, including the Lutheran Church and later the Church of England, for their works.