What to know about the funeral and burial of Pope Francis

NEW YORK – Pope Francis died connected Easter Monday astatine the property of 88. His decease acceptable disconnected mourning crossed the Catholic satellite and days of ritual astatine the Vatican. Here are the cardinal things to cognize astir the ceremonial of the archetypal Latin American pontiff successful the church's history:

When and wherever is his ceremonial being held?

His ceremonial is being held connected Saturday successful St. Peter’s Square. Francis volition past beryllium buried, according to his will: successful a elemental underground tomb astatine St. Mary Major Basilica. The religion is location to his favourite icon of the Virgin Mary, to whom helium was peculiarly devoted.

The sealing of the coffin

The nighttime earlier the funeral, the camerlengo presided implicit the closing and sealing of the coffin, successful the beingness of different elder cardinals. A achromatic cloth was placed implicit Francis' face.

A container containing coins minted during his papacy was placed successful the coffin on with a one-page written relationship of his papacy — known successful Italian arsenic a “rogito,” a connection indicating an authoritative deed. It was work aloud by the maestro of liturgical ceremonies and past rolled up and slipped wrong a cylindrical conduit that was placed wrong the coffin. Another transcript is kept successful the Vatican archives. The covers of some the zinc coffin and the woody 1 carnivore a transverse and Francis' papal overgarment of arms.

Why not astatine the Vatican?

Francis had said helium wanted to beryllium buried not successful St. Peter’s Basilica oregon its grottoes, wherever astir popes are buried, but successful the St. Mary Major Basilica crossed town. His prime reflects his veneration of an icon of the Virgin Mary that is located there, the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the radical of Rome).

Before and aft each overseas trip, Francis would spell to the basilica to commune earlier the Byzantine-style coating that features an representation of Mary, draped successful a bluish robe, holding the babe Jesus who successful crook holds a jeweled aureate book.

Which dignitaries are expected to attend?

Heads of state, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron, are among those expected for the funeral. Others dignitaries include: Prince William, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and European Council President António Costa.

How agelong did the pope serve?

Pope Francis had a 12-year papacy during which helium charmed the satellite with his humility and concern for the poor. But the Argentina-born pope besides alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and clime change.

So, however bash they take a caller pope?

The death of a pope starts a centuries-old ritual to elite a caller one, involving ineffable oaths by the cardinals, the piercing of ballots with a needle and thread aft they’re counted, and past burning them to nutrient either the achromatic oregon achromatic fume to awesome if there’s a caller person for the world’s 1.4 cardinal Catholics.

With the burial, the Catholic Church begins 9 days of authoritative mourning, known arsenic the “novemdiales”. The day of the conclave to elite a caller pope has not yet been announced.

In the conclave, the cardinals volition ballot successful concealed sessions, and the ballots volition beryllium burned successful a peculiar stove aft each session. Black fume indicates nary pope has been elected; achromatic fume says the cardinals person chosen the adjacent caput of the Catholic Church.

Any baptized Catholic antheral is eligible, though lone cardinals person been selected since 1378. The victor indispensable person astatine slightest two-thirds of the ballot from those cardinals nether property 80 who are eligible to participate.

Francis appointed the immense bulk of electors, often tapping men who stock his pastoral priorities, which suggests continuity alternatively than rupture.

While it’s intolerable to foretell who the adjacent pope volition be, some cardinals are considered to person amended chances than others.

Is it similar the movie?

Yes and no. “Conclave” the 2024 film, introduced galore laypeople to the ancient enactment process with its arcane rules and expansive ceremony, albeit with a metallic surface twist packed afloat of palace intrigue and surprise.

Vatican experts accidental the movie excels astatine re-creating the look and consciousness of a conclave. But determination are discrepancies, errors and immoderate outlandish storylines successful the Hollywood version. And portion the voting process was depicted accurately, the ballots are burned not aft each vote, but aft each session.

The bequest of Francis

Francis was known for his idiosyncratic simplicity, from the prime of his sanction Francis successful grant of St. Francis of Assisi, who renounced wealthiness to assistance the poor, to the outward symbols and priorities of his papacy.

He chose to unrecorded successful the Vatican's Domus Santa Marta edifice alternatively of the Apostolic Palace and wore his aged orthotic shoes and not the reddish loafers of the papacy.

In his teachings, helium focused connected interest for refugees and different marginalized people. His archetypal travel extracurricular Rome arsenic pope successful 2013 was to the Sicilian land of Lampedusa to conscionable with recently arrived migrants. His plea for invited enactment him astatine likelihood with U.S. and European policies.

He besides also signaled a much welcoming stance toward LGBTQ+ people, portion besides making the combat against clime alteration a priority. Francis became the archetypal pope to usage technological information successful a large teaching papers and made attraction for God’s instauration a hallmark of his papacy.

He eschewed the grandiose adjacent successful his departure, lying successful authorities successful a elemental coffin made of wood.

__

Associated Press religion sum receives enactment done the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with backing from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely liable for this content.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.