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CV NEWS FEED // Pope Francis will be laid to rest Saturday, April 26, following a funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square. Public visitation begins Wednesday morning, when his body is brought to the basilica for the faithful to pay their respects.
The Vatican confirmed the timeline on Tuesday, setting into motion the rites that traditionally follow the death of a pope, Vatican News reported.
At 9 a.m. Wednesday, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, will lead the solemn procession from the chapel at Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica. The coffin will be carried through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs before passing through the Arch of the Bells and entering the basilica through its central doors.
At the Altar of the Confession, Cardinal Farrell will preside over a Liturgy of the Word. After this, public visitation will commence.
St. Peter’s Basilica will remain open to the public for extended hours: from 11 a.m. until midnight Wednesday, from 7 a.m. to midnight Thursday, and from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday.
Pope Francis will be laid to rest following a funeral Mass on Saturday at 10 a.m. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who serves as dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the liturgy. Clergy from around the world are expected to concelebrate.
Saturday’s liturgy will conclude with the traditional prayers of commendation and farewell, formally beginning the nine-day mourning period known as the Novendiales, during which Masses will be offered for the soul of the departed pope. Following the funeral, his remains will be taken to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for burial.
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