Pope Francis’ body has arrived at St Peter’s Basilica, where it will lie in state for public viewings from 11am today.
The solemn procession to the basilica marked the start of a three-day period for the faithful to pay their respects ahead of Saturday’s funeral mass. Pope Francis’ funeral mass will be held at 10.00am on Saturday in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will preside over the mass, joined by clergy from around the world.
World leaders, cardinals and crowds of pilgrims are expected to flock to the Vatican for Pope Francis’ funeral.
The Prince of Wales will join the likes of US president Donald Trump, Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky to pay their respects to the pontiff, who died aged 88 on Monday.
He is said to have showed the first signs of sudden illness two hours before passing, according to the Vatican news outlet, which reported he made a gesture of farewell with his hand to his nurse before falling into a coma.
His death came after he was hospitalised with double pneumonia for several weeks in February, before he returned to the Vatican in mid-March to recover.
Pope Francis asked for simple funeral ‘of a pastor’
Pope Francis’ funeral will follow the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the official liturgical guide for papal funerals, first published in 2000 and revised by Francis just last year.
According to Diego Ravelli, the Vatican’s master of apostolic ceremonies, Francis aimed to “simplify and adapt” the rites so that the papal funeral is “that of a pastor and disciple of Christ, and not of a powerful person in this world”.
Pope Francis’ body has arrived at St Peter’s Basilica, where it will lie in state for public viewings from 11am today.
Pope Francis’ funeral mass will be held at 10.00am on Saturday in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced.
Vatican prepares for conclave after Pope Francis’ death
With Pope Francis’ death on Monday, the spotlight now shifts to the 135 cardinals under the age of 80 who will vote in the conclave to choose his successor.
108 of the eligible cardinals were appointed by Francis, setting the stage for a successor who may follow his progressive, pastoral path.
The 88-year-old pontiff will be laid to rest Saturday in St. Peter’s Square, with a public funeral expected to draw world leaders and tens of thousands of mourners.
Conclave is expected to begin about two weeks after his death. Once the cardinals reach a decision, white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel will signal to the world: a new pope has been chosen.
Who could be the next Pope? The cardinals who might succeed the head of the Catholic Church
The death of Pope Francis on Monday sets in motion a centuries-old ritual involving sacred oaths, performed by the cardinals who will elect his successor.
The process of electing a new Pope is shrouded in secrecy, with cardinals forbidden from communicating with the outside world what happens in the conclave, which takes place within the frescoed walls of the Sistine Chapel.
The pontiff’s age, along with his health concerns in recent years – including his recent complex lung infection – led to questions being asked well before his death about who would succeed him.
As is always the case, in the months and years prior to the death of a pope, a selection of candidates known as papabile emerge as the frontrunners to become the new leader of the Catholic Church.
Read the full story here:
Who is currently in charge of the Vatican?
As the Catholic Church enters the “sede vacante”, Cardinal Kevin Farrell is overseeing the Holy See’s administrative and financial duties in the absence of a pope.
Cardinal Farrell was born on 2 September 1947 in Dublin. He became an ordained priest in 1978, serving for almost 40 years before Francis made him a cardinal in 2016.
He is the Camerlengo of the Church, meaning that he is in charge while the conclave takes place.
Pope Francis’ body arrives in St Peter’s Basilica where public viewing set to begin
Pope Francis’ body has arrived at St Peter’s Basilica, where it will lie in state for public viewings from 11am today.
The solemn procession to the basilica marked the start of a three-day period for the faithful to pay their respects ahead of Saturday’s funeral mass.
According to the Vatican, St Peter’s Basilica “will remain open for the faithful who wish to pay their respects to the late Pope on Wednesday from 11am to midnight; on Thursday from 7.00am to midnight; and on Friday from 7.00am to 7.00pm”.
Pope Francis’ funeral mass will be held at 10.00am on Saturday in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican announced.Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will preside over the mass, joined by clergy from around the world.
Viewership of Conclave soars 283% after Pope Francis’ death
Following the death of Pope Francis, viewership of the Oscar-winning film Conclave — which dramatises the secretive election of a new pope — surged by 283 per cent, with 6.9 million minutes streamed on the day of his death, according to data from Luminate.
The film, starring Ralph Fiennes and based on Robert Harris’ novel, explores the Vatican’s behind-the-scenes political manoeuvring and earned eight Oscar nominations, including a win for Best Adapted Screenplay.
On Sunday, the film was watched for 1.8 million minutes. The day news of the Pope’s death broke, the film was watched for 6.9 million minutes, Luminate, which tracks viewership of streaming content, said.
As of today, April 22, the film has joined the Prime catalogue. For those already subscribed to Prime Video, the movie will come at no additional cost and will be included as part of their membership. Viewers who want to watch the film for free will be able to secure a free 30-day trial and enjoy it that way.
A look at the coming weeks:
The death of Pope Francis has set in motion weeks of millennia-old processes in the lead up to the next Pontiff being elected.
Here is a look at what we can expect in the coming days:
– On Tuesday, the Pope’s body was pictured in Casa Santa Marta, his former residence.
– On Wednesday, the Pope’s open casket will go on public display at St Peter’s Basilica for mourners to pay their respects.
– On Saturday morning, his funeral will take place in St Peter’s Square.
– He will be buried in St Mary Major, becoming the first pope in over 100 years to not be buried in Vatican grounds.
– After the service, there will be a nine-day period of mourning.
– On May 5, cardinals will gather in the Vatican to begin the conclave – where a new pope will be elected.
– The cardinals are not allowed contact with the outside world during the election, which could take days.
Cardinals prepare for conclave as world mourns Pope Francis
Around 60 cardinals met on Tuesday to finalise funeral plans for Pope Francis, with the conclave to choose the next pope expected to begin on 6 May.
No clear frontrunner has emerged, though speculation points to reformist Luis Antonio Tagle and Italy’s Pietro Parolin.
In the interim, Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell, in his role as camerlengo (chamberlain), oversees the day-to-day affairs of the Vatican.
Trump and Prince William to be among funeral attendees
A large array of world leaders, cardinals and hundreds of thousands of worshippers are expected to attend Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday.
Those confirmed to be attending already include the Prince of Wales, on behalf of his father, King Charles.
US president Donald Trump and the first lady Melania have also said they will be attending.
They will be joined by other royal families and world leaders including Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Pope Francis’ body to lie in state before Saturday funeral
Pope Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, will lie in state at St Peter’s Basilica from Wednesday.
Tens of thousands are expected to pay their respects before his funeral on Saturday, attended by world leaders including Donald Trump.
Leaders from Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Ukraine, EU institutions, and Francis’ home nation of Argentina also confirmed their presence.
Pope Francis asked to be buried in St Mary Major with just “Franciscus” inscribed on his tomb.
Source: independent.co.uk