More than 200,000 people are expected to appear in front of St. Peter’s Basilica for Pope Francis’ funeral, which will take place on Saturday morning (26).
The Pope’s coffin will be removed from the Basilica and taken to the public square to the funeral. The Mass is scheduled to start at 5am, in Brasilia, with a choir singing the introductory rites in Latin.
Francis will then be buried according to his will in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, by which he had a special devotion.
The last pope to be buried outside the Vatican was Leo XIII, died in 1903.
The funeral procession will follow from São Pedro Basilica to Santa Maria Maggiore at a walk. Crowds are expected to be clustered along the way, which is about 5.5 km long and will go through many of Rome’s famous monuments, including the Colosseum.
Watch the video of the route:
The burial will be a private ceremony, but visits to the tomb will be allowed shortly thereafter. The tomb will have only the Latin name of Francis, “Franciscus”.
The Vatican released this Friday (25) photos of the closure of Pope Francis’ coffin.
Funeral
On Saturday (26), with the closed coffin, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the Cardinal College, will start the funeral celebrating the Mass of Exequias (ceremony for deceased Catholics), from 5am (Brasília time), 10am (local time), in St. Peter’s 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 Noveli (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.
Pope Francis’ death
Francisco, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, assumed the title of Pope in March 2013. He marked the history of the Catholic Church as the first Latin American Pope and the first Jesuit to occupy the position.
The pontiff died after a stroke and irreversible heart failure, Vatican doctor Andrea Arcangeli said in a death certificate released on Monday (21) of the 88-year-old pontiff.
On the morning of Wednesday (23), was held the funeral of the leader of the Catholic Church, which was open to the faithful.
This content was originally published in see how the path of Pope Francis’ funeral procession will be on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
