The Vatican says that the burial will take place on Saturday and shares images of Pope Francis in an open coffin.

Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88 due to a brain stroke and subsequent heart failure, leaving the world in sadness.

The pontiff’s funeral is scheduled on this Saturday, and cardinals are gathering to organize it.

The burial service for Pope Francis will be held outside in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The ceremony will be led by Giovanni Battista Re, head of the College of Cardinals.
The corpse will be taken to St. Mary Major for burial when Re delivers the last commendation, which is a closing prayer in which the Pope is solemnly surrendered to God.

Vatican to transport Pope to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday

The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis will be brought to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday at 9:00 local time (07:00 GMT).

The public will be able to pay their respects by viewing the Pope’s casket until the funeral.

Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will be held in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, April 26, 2025, according to a Tuesday announcement from the Holy See Press Office.

Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests from all over the world will consecrate the Mass, which will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.

The Ultima commendatio and the Valedictio, which signal the start of the Novemdiales—nine days of grief and Masses for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul—will mark the end of the Eucharistic feast.

After then, the remains of the late Pope will be transported to St. Peter’s Basilica before being interred at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

In order for the faithful to offer their respects, the casket holding the Pope’s remains will be transported from the Casa Santa Marta chapel to St. Peter’s Basilica earlier on Wednesday.

The Holy Roman Church’s Camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, will preside over the translation ceremony on April 23. It will start with a prayer at 9:00 AM.

According to the Holy See Press Office, the procession will go via the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs and Santa Marta Square.

After leaving through the Arch of the Bells, the procession will reach St. Peter’s Square and proceed through the main door of the Vatican Basilica.

The visits to the Roman Pontiff’s body will begin after the Liturgy of the Word, which will be presided over by Cardinal Camerlengo at the Altar of the Confession.

Cardinals gather after death of Pope Francis, arrange for burial

Prior to a conclave next month to choose a new leader of the Roman Catholic Church, cardinals convened at the Vatican on Tuesday to organize Pope Francis’ burial, which world leaders will attend.

The Vatican reported that Francis, 88, passed away unexpectedly on Monday following a stroke and heart arrest, capping an often tumultuous reign during which he frequently fought with traditionalists and spoke out for the underprivileged and disenfranchised.

Earlier this year, the pope was hospitalized for five weeks due to double pneumonia. He appeared in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, however, and appeared to be on the mend after his return to the Vatican over a month ago.

His untimely death initiated long-standing customs as the Church, which has 1.4 billion members, began the process of changing popes. These included breaking the pope’s “Fisherman’s Ring” and lead seal, which were used to seal papers during his lifetime so that no one else could use them.

To arrange the burial, all of the cardinals who were in Rome at the time were asked to gather at the Vatican at 9 a.m. (0700 GMT).

“Now, we’re going to talk about the organization. As he entered the Vatican’s first Congregation of Cardinals, Italian Cardinal Fernando Filoni declared, “We’ll see what comes next.”

“Prayer is the most crucial thing. “Let’s join the pope in prayer,” Filoni said to reporters.
Donald Trump, the president of the United States, who has frequently spat with the pope over immigration, said that he and his spouse will travel to Rome for his funeral. According to a source in his office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Argentina’s Javier Milei were among the other heads of state scheduled to attend.

With additional files from Reuters

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