An expert said on Thursday (April 24) that the funeral ceremony for Pope Francis will be the 'standard' ritual for a Pope's funeral.

The liturgy, specific to Pope funerals, is followed by 'the commendation and the final farewell', a series of prayers over the coffin and by the litany of Saints, during which the choir will list a series of Saints asking them to pray for the late Pope's soul.

At the end of the funeral mass, Pope Francis' body will be taken to Santa Maria Maggiore's basilica for burial.

The 88-year-old pope, who died on Monday (April 21) in his rooms at the Vatican's Santa Marta guesthouse after suffering a stroke.

Almost 50,000 people have flooded the basilica to pay homage to the late pontiff, laid out since Wednesday in an open coffin ahead of his funeral on Saturday, Vatican media said.

On Saturday, over 170 delegations including heads of state and government are expected in St. Peter's Square for the funeral ceremony, with millions more watching on television across the globe.