Vatican Announces Funeral and Liturgical Rites
On Monday, April 21, 2025, Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell presided over the rite of verification of the death and the placement of Pope Francis’ body in the coffin, in accordance with the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis. This rite officially marks the beginning of the Sede Vacante period in the Catholic Church.
On Tuesday, April 22, the Office for Liturgical Celebrations of the Holy See announced that on Wednesday, April 23 at 9:00 a.m. (Rome time), the Pope’s remains will be transferred from the Domus Sanctae Marthae chapel to St. Peter’s Basilica. The procession, led by Cardinal Farrell, will cross St. Martha’s Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs, entering through the main door. A Liturgy of the Word will be celebrated at the Altar of the Confession, after which the public will be allowed to pay their respects.
The funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 26 at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals. It will mark the first of the Novendiali, nine days of mourning and prayer for the late Pontiff. After the Eucharist, the Ultima commendatio and Valedictio rites will be performed. The coffin will then be taken to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major for burial.
Several world leaders have confirmed their presence at the funeral, including Giorgia Meloni, Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Emmanuel Macron, Javier Milei, and Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known globally as Pope Francis, will be remembered as a compassionate shepherd, a fearless reformer, and a tireless advocate for dialogue, justice, and peace. His papacy profoundly reshaped the Church’s role in the modern world.
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- Cover Image: VaticanNews