At the cathedral, the Armed Forces Chorus sang the hymn “Be Still My Soul” before Carter’s casket was brought inside.

President Joe Biden, who was the first sitting senator to endorse Carter's 1976 presidential campaign, will deliver a eulogy.

Thursday's service will cap off six days of remembrance for Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100. After the funeral, Carter will return to Georgia to be buried in his hometown of Plains, next to his beloved wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter.