The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis’s funeral will be held this Saturday at 10 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square, following his death at the age of 88. Presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the ceremony is expected to draw world leaders and Catholic faithful from across the globe.
The late pontiff will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica from Wednesday through Friday, allowing the public to pay their final respects. Viewing hours begin at 11 a.m. on Wednesday and extend through Friday evening.
Francis, the first Latin American pope, died Monday morning after suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest. Despite recent health challenges, he had resumed limited public appearances, including his last on Easter Sunday. His death marks the beginning of centuries-old Vatican protocols, including the symbolic destruction of his “Fisherman’s Ring.”
In a departure from tradition, Francis’s final wish was to be buried in Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Major instead of St. Peter’s Basilica. His decision reflects his papacy’s themes of humility, reform, and inclusiveness.
World leaders confirmed to attend the funeral include Argentina’s Javier Milei, Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the U.S.’s Donald Trump, and France’s Emmanuel Macron.
As the Church prepares for a new chapter, a conclave of 135 eligible cardinals—most appointed by Francis—will soon gather to elect the next pope. His influence endures, having shifted the global Church’s center of gravity toward the Global South, where Catholicism is rapidly growing.
Source: Swifteradio.com
