The Vatican announced on Tuesday that Pope Francis’ body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica starting Wednesday morning, ahead of his funeral scheduled for Saturday, April 26, at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square.
The funeral Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, marking a solemn moment for the Roman Catholic Church and faithful worldwide to pay their final respects to the beloved pontiff.
When and how did Pope Francis die?
Following his death on Monday at the age of 88 due to a stroke and heart failure, Pope Francis’ body was placed in a simple wooden coffin lined with zinc and dressed in red vestments with his bishop’s miter.
The coffin was initially kept in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta residence, where he lived and passed away. On Wednesday morning, a formal rite of translation will transfer his body in a procession to St. Peter’s Basilica, passing through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs.
The pope’s open casket will remain on display at St. Peter’s Basilica from Wednesday until the funeral on Saturday, allowing ordinary faithful and dignitaries alike to pay homage. The funeral is expected to draw patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, and thousands of worshippers from around the world, as well as numerous heads of state and religious leaders.
U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, Argentine President Javier Milei, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and French President Emmanuel Macron are among the confirmed attendees.
In a departure from tradition, Pope Francis requested to be buried not in the Vatican grottoes but at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, a historic church located outside the Vatican in a vibrant immigrant neighbourhood of Rome. He visited this basilica more than 100 times during his papacy to pray before a Byzantine-style icon of the Virgin Mary, his favorite devotional site. His last visit was about ten days ago, and his burial there will be the first papal interment in over 350 years at that location.
Pope Francis, who led the Catholic Church for 12 years as its 266th pontiff, was known for his pastoral humility, progressive stances, and devotion to the marginalized. His final public appearance was on Easter Sunday, April 20, when he delivered his last blessing and greeted followers from his popemobile. His death marks the end of an era and ushers in preparations for the conclave to elect his successor, with cardinals already convening at the Vatican to begin the process
Don’t miss out! Get your daily dose of Entertainment news and more straight to your phone. Join Ghana Street Journal Whatsapp channel now!
