Pope Francis' funeral in numbers; Rome will be the center of global attention this Saturday

Pope Francis' funeral, to be held this Saturday in Rome, will be the first for a sitting pontiff in two decades. The event entails a complex logistical operation involving thousands of volunteers, security forces, and civil authorities, on a day that will mark a milestone for the Catholic world.

These are the main figures that give dimension to the event:

-200,000 faithful : The Italian Ministry of the Interior forecasts this number of attendees for the funeral services. For the next conclave—still undated—attendance of up to 250,000 people is estimated.

The funeral procession carrying the Pope's remains will travel a distance of 6 kilometers from St. Peter's Square to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where he will be buried according to his wishes.

-3,000 volunteers will be deployed by Civil Protection, along with 55 medical teams , 11 advanced care posts , and 52 additional ambulances to ensure medical care along the route.

-17°C and clear skies are expected at 10:00 a.m. (08:00 GMT), the start of the funeral. Temperatures could reach 24°C during the day.

-The state-owned railway operator Ferrovie dello Stato has made 260,000 train seats available for those wishing to travel to Rome. In addition, 500 parking spaces have been reserved for tourist buses and coaches.

-130 international delegations have confirmed their presence. The final figure is expected to reach 170 , with nearly 50 world leaders , including kings and heads of state or government.

-120,000 arrivals to the Italian capital are expected between April 25 and 26, with an estimated 320,000 overnight stays , according to data from the local Department of Tourism. Of these, 101,000 will be in hotels and 53,000 in alternative accommodations .

-Eleven thousand security agents will guard the event, including police, carabinieri, traffic officers, and 1,500 soldiers , not counting the private teams accompanying the foreign delegations.

- Five anti-drone systems equipped with electronic bazookas will protect the airspace, intercepting signals from potential unmanned aircraft, within the exclusion perimeter activated over Rome.

Rome is transformed to bid farewell to one of the most influential religious leaders of recent times, in an unprecedented event that tests the operational capacity of the city and the Vatican.