Pope Francis’ funeral date announced by Vatican as first images of his body released

Pope Francis‘ funeral has been scheduled for 10 a.m. native time (4 a.m. EDT) on Saturday at St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican introduced Tuesday, following a gathering of the School of Cardinals on the Catholic Church’s city-state headquarters within the coronary heart of Rome. The coffin carrying the pope, who died Monday morning after struggling a stroke and coronary heart failure on the age of 88, might be introduced in a procession Wednesday morning, accompanied by cardinals, to St. Peter’s from his residence at Casa Santa Marta, the place he died.

The pope’s physique was laid to relaxation Monday in a coffin within the chapel of his Santa Marta residence. The Vatican launched the primary photographs and video on Tuesday of Francis in his coffin, sporting a purple gown with the papal mitre on his head and a rosary intertwined in his fingers. 

The pictures confirmed cardinals and different church officers performing what the Vatican mentioned was the formal Affirmation of the Pope’s Loss of life and praying over his physique.

The interim administrator of the Vatican, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, an Irish-American who will play a significant position within the funeral and subsequent conclave occasions within the coming weeks, will preside over the procession and the ritual switch of the pope’s physique to St. Peter’s.

The pontiff will lie in state forward of his funeral on the basilica from Wednesday morning, the Vatican mentioned. The funeral might be celebrated by the dean of the School of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re.

The papal funeral is damaged down into three separate phases, or “stations.” They’re the preparation of the physique, the viewing of the physique, after which the burial.

Who will come to Pope Francis’ funeral?

The funeral at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday funeral will draw “Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and clergymen from throughout the globe,” the Vatican mentioned. It’s going to even be attended by various world leaders and different dignitaries.

The pope’s coffin might be carried via the 500-year-old basilica’s so-called “door of dying” to the left of the principle altar, and a single bell will toll.  

President Trump mentioned Monday that he and first woman Melania would attend, as did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and France’s Emmanuel Macron.

China’s authorities indicated Tuesday that no selections had been made relating to which officers would possibly attend the service on the Vatican.

What occurs after Pope Francis’ funeral?

After the funeral Mass at St. Peter’s, Pope Francis’ coffin might be taken to the Basilica of St. Mary Main in Rome, the place he might be entombment. The pope selected to be buried on the smaller basilica, which is about 4 miles away, exterior the Vatican partitions. He prayed at St. Mary’s typically, earlier than and after worldwide journeys throughout his 12-year hold forth.

Between 15 and 20 days after the pope’s dying, the Cardinal Electors will collect on the Vatican and seal themselves off from the world behind closed doorways for the papal conclave, the centuries-old course of of selecting the following pope. 

Solely cardinals beneath the age of 80 — at the moment a bunch of about 135 — are eligible to vote in a conclave.

Contained in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, the cardinals will solid ballots for his or her alternative to steer the church, repeating the method till a candidate emerges with a two-thirds-plus-one majority. The paper ballots are burned after every spherical of voting, sending up black smoke to sign no alternative has been reached but, and at last white smoke to disclose {that a} new pope has been chosen.