Funeral scheduled for Saturday morning at the Vatican

Pope Francis, spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church for over a decade, passed away on Monday morning at the age of 88. The Vatican confirmed that the Pope suffered a stroke and went into cardiac arrest at his residence in Casa Santa Marta. His funeral will be held on Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 AM local time (8:00 AM GMT) at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.

“The body of the late Pope Francis will be transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday at 9:00 AM to lie in state until his funeral on Saturday at 10:00 AM,” the Vatican stated. The funeral Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, and will be concelebrated by senior Catholic clergy from around the world.

A return to Rome after a prolonged illness

Earlier this year, Pope Francis was hospitalized for 38 days following a serious respiratory illness that developed into double pneumonia. Though he had returned to the Vatican nearly a month ago and was seen publicly in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, Vatican officials now say he remained in a fragile state.

He died at 7:35 AM on Monday, surrounded by members of his household and senior Vatican officials, according to reports from the Holy See.

A resting place close to his heart

In accordance with his final wishes, Pope Francis will not be buried in the traditional papal tomb beneath St. Peter’s Basilica. Instead, he expressed a personal desire to rest at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, a church he held close throughout his life and papacy.

“I wish my final earthly journey to conclude at this ancient Marian shrine,” Pope Francis wrote in his will, dated June 29, 2022. He recalled his devotion to the Virgin Mary and noted that he visited the basilica at the beginning and end of every apostolic mission. He emphasized that his tomb should be simple, unadorned, and inscribed only with the word “Franciscus.”

“With the feeling that the sunset of my earthly life is approaching, I have always entrusted my life and my priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy,” he wrote.

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Final images released by the Vatican

On Tuesday, the Vatican released the first official images of Pope Francis in repose. The late pontiff is seen lying in an open coffin inside the private chapel of Casa Santa Marta, clothed in a red liturgical robe and white papal mitre, a rosary placed in his hands. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, was photographed offering prayers beside the Pope’s body.

These moving images mark the beginning of a week of mourning, during which thousands of faithful are expected to visit the Basilica to pay their last respects.

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Cause of death confirmed by the Vatican

In a statement released Tuesday, Vatican medical officials confirmed that Pope Francis died of a stroke, which led to irreversible heart failure. The pontiff’s deteriorating health had been a matter of concern since early this year, particularly following his hospitalization for respiratory complications.

As the world prepares to bid farewell to one of the most influential spiritual leaders of the 21st century, his legacy—as a reformer, a man of humility, and a champion of mercy and compassion—continues to resonate beyond the walls of the Vatican.

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