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Following the death of Pope Francis, the Vatican has declared a nine-day period of mourning starting on Saturday. The traditional period of mourning for the pontiff, known as the “Novendiale”, will last until May 4, the Vatican announced Wednesday evening. During this time, daily ceremonies will be held in St. Peter’s Basilica in honor of the deceased head of the Church. The body of Pope Francis was laid out in St. Peter’s Basilica, and since Wednesday, the faithful have been able to bid farewell at the open coffin.
According to the Vatican, almost 20,000 people bid farewell to the dead Pope in the first eight and a half hours after he was laid out in St. Peter’s Basilica. Estimates suggest that more than 100,000 people had gathered in the square by the afternoon.
Special opening hours and rules currently apply: St. Peter’s Basilica is open from 7 a.m. until midnight on Thursday. After a waiting period, it is possible to approach the coffin in front of the main altar. Tens of thousands lined up on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Meloni also took her leave
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was among the pilgrims who flocked to St. Peter’s Basilica. She spent a few minutes in prayer in front of the coffin. Before that, Meloni had taken part in a memorial ceremony in the parliament in Rome in honor of Francis.
Two days after Francis’ death, the body of the head of the Church was carried from the papal residence of Santa Marta to the papal altar in the cathedral under the canopy of the Baroque master builder Gian Lorenzo Bernini in a solemn ceremony attended by thousands of people. The deceased pontifex maximus will be laid to rest on Saturday.
While the death knell rang, dozens of cardinals and Swiss Guards escorted the coffin. The transfer and funeral ceremonies will occur according to a new, simpler rite compared to previous popes. Among other things, Francis himself had arranged for his body to be placed in just one coffin before his death, instead of three, one inside the other, as was previously the case. In addition, the coffin will no longer be displayed elevated on a catafalque.
On Friday evening, the coffin is closed and prepared for the funeral service on Saturday morning. St. Peter’s Basilica will be open until 7 p.m. beforehand. Many state guests worldwide and hundreds of thousands of faithful are expected to attend the funeral. After the St. Peter’s Square mass, the coffin will be taken to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Francis will then be buried there.
Preparations for this major event are underway in Rome. A few days beforehand, the Italian capital was already in a state of emergency. Italy’s civil defense expects hundreds of thousands of people to attend the funeral service. Public transport is to be increased. Volunteers are to assist the faithful who want to get to St. Peter’s Square. The highest security precautions are also in place.
Pilgrims and tourists applauded
Numerous pilgrims and tourists gathered along the route of the coffin on Wednesday. They applauded Francis, who died at the age of 88, as is customary at the funerals of well-known personalities in Italy. Among the visitors was Mexican Anna Montoya. “I just had to come here,” said the 33-year-old. The Argentinian pope was “like a relative” to her. “He stood for what the Church should be like,” she added.
Over 100,000 people queued to get into St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday. They had to wait up to four hours to reach the entrance to the basilica. The Vatican is therefore considering possibly even keeping St. Peter’s Basilica open overnight.
A memorial ceremony in Francis’ honor was held in the Italian parliament on Wednesday afternoon. The presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, Lorenzo Fontana and Ignazio La Russa, representatives of all parties, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni took the floor to commemorate the late Pope. In addition to the Prime Minister, several ministers were also present.
Numerous heads of state come to Rome
After a ceremony in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, Francis will be the first pope in more than a century not to be buried in St. Peter’s Basilica at his own request but in the papal basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in the center of Rome, a central place of Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary. His final resting place will be an earthly grave with the simple Latin inscription “Franciscus.” Numerous heads of state have announced their attendance at the funeral, including Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and ÖVP Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker.
Parolin is a favorite with bookmakers
In the meantime, there has already been intense speculation about Francis’s successor. The bookmakers in London have a clear favorite: the Vatican’s current number two, the Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The 70-year-old, previously Cardinal Secretary of State, is the clear frontrunner in the various betting shops.
In second place is usually another curia cardinal: the former Archbishop of Manila from the Philippines, Luis Antonio Tagle (67). He is followed by Cardinals Peter Turkson (Ghana), Matteo Zuppi (Italy), Peter Erdö (Hungary), and Pierbattista Pizzaballa (Italy).
The new pontiff will probably be decided in a conclave in May. As things stand now, 133 cardinals will decide – in strict secrecy in the Sistine Chapel. More than 100 cardinals are excluded because they are over 80 years old. Because Francis has appointed many new cardinals from distant countries, the election is considered to be particularly open this time. So there may well be surprises.
- sources: APA/DPA/AFA/picture: vaticannews.va/canva.com
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