The security measures for the funeral of Pope Francis scheduled for Saturday 26 April will be unlike anything Rome has seen in living memory.
Thousands of police officers will be deployed for the funeral, with reinforcements arriving from several Italian regions. That’s before considering the security services being brought along by the 130 foreign delegations.
The area around the Holy See and along the route of the funeral procession will be protected by a full-fledged security presence covering threats from air, land and sea: a Navy destroyer near the capital, Eurofighter jets from the Italian Air Force, radar installations and anti-drone bazookas.
In the event of sightings of unauthorised aircraft, innovative devices will be used to disrupt their communications.
An armoured St. Peter’s
The area of St. Peter’s Square will be fortified, with preventive ground clearance and drones at the Questura to guarantee a bird’s eye view with 3D imagery.
The urban quadrant around the basilica will be divided into five security zones. Sharpshooters will be deployed atop buildings; below will be bomb disposal squads, canine units, river police patrolling the Tiber and the quays, and fire brigade units prepared to counter the nuclear, bacteriological, chemical and radiological threats.
At midnight on 26 April, a “green zone” will begin operating, with measures prohibiting demonstrations and the transport of dangerous goods.
Where the funeral procession will pass
After the funeral service, the procession will leave for Santa Maria Maggiore, where Pope Francis will be buried. Contrary to what has been reported in recent days, however, the cortege will not pass through St. Peter’s Square.
Its 6km journey will take about half an hour, leaving via the Porta del Perugino and then following the route indicated by the Questura.
The route partly follows the ancient Via Papalis, which the popes travelled in procession after their election and consecration in St. Peter’s to reach the Lateran Basilica, seat of the episcopal chair.
Along the way, Pope Francis’ coffin will pass symbolic places such as the Colosseum, which hosts the traditional celebration of the Via Crucis on Good Friday, and the Piazza Venezia.
The medical plan
In addition to the security arrangements, there is also a health strategy organised by the Lazio Region.
Ambulances, medical points and rescue teams will be deployed from St. Peter’s Square to Santa Maria Maggiore, as well as in metro stations and the most crowded areas. Coordination is entrusted to Ares 118, the regional health emergency company.
Six advanced medical posts will be set up in the areas that will be most crowded between St. Peter’s Square, Castel Sant’Angelo and the Piazza Risorgimento. Units for psychological assistance and a Unidec team for decontamination from chemical agents will also be operational, along with 80 foot teams and 13 ambulances.