The Vatican has announced that the funeral of Pope Francis will be held this Saturday, 26 April, at 10:00 local time (09:00 BST) in St Peter’s Square, in front of the iconic St Peter’s Basilica.
The Dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, will lead the solemn funeral ceremony. At the conclusion of the service, Cardinal Re will deliver the final commendation—a traditional prayer entrusting the Pope’s soul to God—before the body is taken for burial at St Mary Major.
Ahead of the funeral, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis’s body will be moved to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday morning at 09:00 local time, where it will lie in state. This will allow the public and dignitaries to pay their final respects to the late pontiff, who led the Catholic Church for 12 years.
Currently, the Pope is laid out in a coffin in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence, the modest Vatican guesthouse where he chose to live throughout his papacy instead of the traditional papal apartments.
Images of his open coffin released by the Vatican have evoked emotional tributes from around the world, as millions mourn the loss of a Pope remembered for his humility, progressive vision, and global outreach.
