By Fr. Anthony Adetayo

The Vatican has officially announced that the funeral of Pope Francis will take place on Saturday at 10:00 AM local time in St. Peter’s Square. This announcement follows the passing of the pontiff, prompting an outpouring of grief from Catholics worldwide.  

Key Details:

• Funeral Liturgy: The solemn funeral liturgy in St. Peter’s Square will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the esteemed Dean of the College of Cardinals. Numerous high-ranking members of the clergy from across the globe are expected to concelebrate the Mass.  
• Burial: In accordance with Pope Francis’s personal wishes, following the funeral Mass, his coffin will be respectfully transferred into St. Peter’s Basilica. Subsequently, the late Pope will be laid to rest in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. This marks a significant departure from the traditional practice of burying popes within the Vatican grottoes, making Pope Francis the first pontiff to be interred outside the Vatican since Pope Leo XIII in 1903.  
• Rite of Certification: The Vatican released poignant first pictures of Pope Francis lying in repose in an open coffin. These images were taken during the rite of certification of death, a formal ceremony that took place in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta within the Vatican. Vatican News reported that during this rite, the official declaration of Pope Francis’s death was read aloud and formally validated by Cardinal Kevin Farrell. The ceremony lasted just under an hour.  
• Public Viewing: Preparations are underway for the public viewing of Pope Francis’s body. It is expected that the coffin will be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica for public veneration, allowing the faithful to pay their final respects. An announcement regarding the specific timing of the transfer and public viewing is anticipated later today. Sources indicate that the transfer procession from the Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica will be led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. This rite of translation is scheduled to begin on Wednesday morning.  

At 9:00 a.m., Patriarchs and Cardinals, resplendent in white damasked mitres, symbols of episcopal purity and unity with the Holy See will gather in the Chapel of St. Sebastian. Preceding them, at 8:30 a.m., Archbishops and Bishops, bearing the amice, alb, girdle, and simple white mitre, will report to the Constantine Wing, signifying their apostolic calling. Simultaneously, priests, the backbone of the Church’s ministry, will assemble in St. Peter’s Square, vested in amice, alb, girdle, and red stoles, marking their priestly identity and sacrificial service.

Following the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Final Commendation and Valedictory will take place. This solemn moment will witness the Church, envisioned as the Bride of Christ, entrusting her earthly shepherd to the Divine Shepherd. Subsequently, Pope Francis’s body will be carried in a procession of global resonance into St. Peter’s Basilica. From there, his remains will be translated to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, his final resting place, under the watchful gaze of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose intercession he often sought.