Pope Francis will be laid to rest in Rome’s Esquilino area, marking a rare departure from the usual practice of burying popes within the Vatican. Getty Images
Pope Francis will be buried this Saturday at St Peter’s Square in Rome. The Vatican confirmed this on Tuesday. Thousands are expected to gather to say their goodbyes to the leader of the Catholic Church, who passed away on Monday at 88 years old.
He died from a stroke, just a day after delivering his Easter message. He had been sick recently and was recovering from double pneumonia.
Leaders from many countries will attend the funeral. This includes the Prince of Wales, former U.S. President Donald Trump, and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazil has the world’s largest Catholic population.
On Sunday, the Pope appeared on his balcony for his final public blessing. “Do you think I can do this?” he asked his nurse before stepping outside. He gave his blessing to the crowd from the balcony. The next morning, he became ill and fell into a coma around 6:30 a.m. An hour later, he passed away peacefully.
The Vatican said, “Those who were near him in those moments say he didn’t suffer. It was a discreet death.”
His body now rests in an open coffin inside the Chapel of Santa Marta, where he lived for 12 years. On Wednesday morning, cardinals will carry the coffin to St Peter’s Basilica. Mourners can visit the Basilica and pay their respects from Wednesday to Friday.
The Vatican shared pictures of Pope Francis lying in an open casket at the Chapel of Santa Marta, the place where he lived during his 12 years as pope. BBC
On Wednesday, it will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight. On Thursday, people can come from 7 a.m. to midnight, and on Friday until 7 p.m.
The Pope asked that there be no private viewing for cardinals and no raised platform for his coffin. Photos show him dressed in red robes, with a rosary in hand, lying peacefully.
The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday in front of St Peter’s Basilica. Clergy from around the world will attend. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will lead the funeral mass and deliver the final prayer before the burial.
After the ceremony, the Pope’s body will be taken to the Basilica of St Mary Major. Pope Francis requested to be buried there instead of the usual tombs inside the Vatican. He will be the first pope in more than a century to be buried outside the Vatican.
He also asked for a simple grave, with no special decoration, and only his papal name “Franciscus” written in Latin.
A nine-day mourning period, known as “Novemdiales,” will follow the funeral.
Many world leaders and royals will attend the event. This includes Prince William, President Trump, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Others include Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Once Pope Francis is laid to rest, cardinals from around the world will gather in Rome. They will meet to choose the next Pope in a special meeting called a conclave. This will happen within 15 to 20 days after the burial.
