Mourners the world over are paying tribute today to the late Pope Francis after his symbolic death on Easter Monday.
Mourners pay tribute to the late Pope Francis at the Basilica de San Jose de Flores in Buenos Aires where Francis first realised his calling to become a priest (via Alamy/ 3AY7C5B) The Vatican confirmed this morning that a funeral for the 88-year-old pontiff - who died of a stroke followed by cardiocirculatory collapse - will be held outside St Peter's Basilica church on Saturday. While religious figures and state leaders - Keir Starmer included - will flock to Rome for his funeral, they can expect a relatively humble affair: Francis left clear instructions for a pared back ceremony, requesting, for instance, a tomb "without ornamentation". Meaning the funeral will be in keeping with the tone of his 12-year papacy more generally. That the late pontiff came to be known for favouring simplicity over pomp is reflected in his very name - chosen in honour of Francis of Assisi, the Italian saint who championed the cause of the poor and renounced a life of luxury. While his predecessors resided in a plush apostolic apartment waited on by devoted nuns, Francis chose to live in a fairly basic guesthouse in Santa Marta and eat in a self-service cafeteria. He also drove himself around Rome in a little Fiat. Francis was born in Argentina in 1936, as Jorge Bergoglio, to Italian immigrants. Back in his home country, seven days of national mourning have been declared and tearful mourners have gathered outside the cathedral in Buenos Aires today, with the city's homeless amongst those paying their respects. During his time as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he is well remembered for his work reaching out to those on the margins, visiting soup kitchens and prisons. That's not to say he doesn't have critics in his home country, despite the initial pride felt by most Argentines following the news that a fellow countryman would be the first Latin American pope. There, as elsewhere, he has drawn criticism from conservatives for being too closely aligned with social justice causes…