Final farewell: Pope Francis's casket closed in sacred ritual
On Friday at 8 pm in the Basilica of Saint Peter, the ceremony for the closing of the casket containing the body of Pope Francis will take place. On this day, the faithful will be able to pay their respects to the late Pope until 7 pm. The funeral services are scheduled for Saturday.
What do you need to know?
- The ceremony for the closing of Pope Francis's casket is scheduled for Friday at 8pm in the Basilica of Saint Peter.
- The ceremony will be led by Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell.
- The faithful can pay their respects at the casket until Friday at 7pm.
On Friday evening, in the Basilica of Saint Peter, the ceremony for closing the casket containing the body of Pope Francis will take place.
As announced by the Master of Liturgical Celebrations, Father Diego Ravelli, the ceremony will occur at 8pm. It will be led by Camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell.
The ceremony for closing the casket will be attended by numerous cardinals, including the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and Cardinals Roger Michael Mahony, Dominique Mamberti, Mauro Gambetti, Pietro Parolin, Baldassare Reina, and Konrad Krajewski. The Pope's secretaries will also be present.
The procession with Francis's casket has reached the basilica
On Wednesday morning, the casket containing the body of Pope Francis was carried in a procession from the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae to St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony was attended by around 80 cardinals, and about 20,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square. The faithful can pay their respects at the casket until Friday when the closing ceremony will be held.
The funeral services for Pope Francis are scheduled for Saturday, 26th April, at 10 am in St. Peter's Square in Rome. After the mass in St. Peter's Square, the casket containing the Pope's body will be transported to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where, according to his wishes, he will be buried.
