The Vatican reported that about 250,000 people went to Pope Francis’ wake in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. The ceremony began on Wednesday (23) and ended on Friday (25).
Several authorities have attended and said goodbye to the Pontiff, from the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT).
The funeral will be held this Saturday (26), at 5am, in Brasília time, and should gather more than 200 thousand people.
Francisco asked to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which is in Rome, not in the Vatican. There will be a funeral procession.
Rome will have a strong security scheme, with patrols, drones and more than 2,000 agents.
Pope Francis’ funeral details
On Saturday, with the closed coffin, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the Cardinal College (older member of the group), will start the funeral celebrating the Mass of Exequias (ceremony for deceased Catholics), from 5am (Brasília time), 10am (local time), in São Pedro Square.
Anterior papal funerals were also performed outdoors, with thousands of people following the ceremony in front of the basilica.
This will be the first day of the noveniali (novenary), the nine days of mourning and prayers in honor of the Pope, in St. Peter’s Square, in front of the Basilica of St. Peter, the main Vatican.
After the ceremony, which should be attended by authorities and world leaders, the coffin will be taken back into the St. Peter’s Basilica and, from there, will follow in procession to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where the burial ceremony will be held.
The Vatican reported that a group of poor and needy will be present in the steps leading to the burial place to pay the last tribute to the pontiff.
In the chapel, Diego Ravelli, master of apostolic ceremonies, will say a new prayer in Latin. Then, seals of the Vatican will be placed on the coffin, which will be deposited in the tomb, receiving holy water.
The notary of the Liberic Chapter wins the authentic scripture that certifies the burial and reads it to those present.
The document is then signed by the Cardinal Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, the ruler of the Pontifical House, the master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations and, finally, by the notary.
See images of Pope Francis’ life:
Who are the Brazilian cardinals who vote for the conclave and can be Papa
This content was originally published in about 250,000 people went to Pope Francis’ wake, says Vatican on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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