Pope Francis’ funeral takes place this Saturday (26) at 10am, local time (5am from Brasilia), and is expected to gather 200,000 people, according to Rome officials.
The ceremony will take place in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. Then there will be a funeral procession to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where Francis will be buried. He will be the first pontiff in about 100 years to be buried outside the Vatican.
According to the city police, the route is about six kilometers. The streets will be closed and it will not be possible to accompany the procession, but the public can accompany behind barriers positioned on the streets.
According to the authorities, there will be a “very small” procession, with some car cardinals.
The funeral procession will pass through the Pasa Galleria, cross the Tiber River bridge, Corso Vittorio and Piazza Venezia.
Then he will go to the imperial forums, will climb the labyican pathway and enter the via Merulana to reach Santa Maria Maggiore, where the burial will take place, that will not be open to the public .
Four big screens will also be installed, two of them in Piazza Esquilino, in front of the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, for people who want to accompany the funeral there and wait for the coffin to arrive.
Honors before burial
Authorities reported that poor people, immigrants, trans and six prisoners will receive Pope Francis’ coffin in front of the Basilica on the building’s stairs.
The delegation will consist of rescuers and migrants who have been refugees, tortured and escaped from concentration camps in Libya, according to Mediterranea, an NGO that met several times with the Pope.
The six prisoners found the pontiff in the arrest of Rebibbia on the occasion of the opening of the Holy Door.
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 Know how will be Pope Francis’ funeral procession on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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