The funeral of Pope Francis will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, 26 April, on the parvis of St Peter’s Basilica, the Office for Liturgical Celebrations announced today.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will preside over the ceremony.
The 88-year-old Argentine pontiff died on Monday following a stroke. According to the Vatican, he later fell into a coma and suffered irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.
On Tuesday, the Vatican released a photo showing the Pope in an open coffin in the chapel of Santa Marta, his residence inside the Vatican. He wears a red robe with a white mitre and held a rosary in his hand.
His body will be transferred to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, where the faithful will be able to pay their respects.
Following the funeral, the Pope’s coffin will be taken to the Basilica of St Mary Major, where he will be laid to rest. This decision honours the wishes he set out in his last testament.
A moment of prayer, presided over by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, will begin the procession. It will pass through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs, exit through the Arch of the Bells, and enter St Peter’s Basilica via the central door.
The Liturgy of the Word will take place at the Altar of the Confession. After this, the public will be able to pay their final respects to the Pope.
Pope Francis’ Last Testament
In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
As I sense that the twilight of my earthly life is approaching, and with firm hope in Eternal Life, I wish to express my final wishes regarding my burial place.
I have always entrusted my life and priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy. Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains rest, awaiting the day of resurrection, in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.
I wish that my final earthly journey conclude precisely in this ancient Marian shrine, where I go to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey to faithfully entrust my intentions to the Immaculate Mother and to give thanks for her gentle and maternal care.
I ask that my tomb be prepared in the burial niche in the side nave between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the aforementioned Papal Basilica, as indicated in the enclosed plan.
The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, and bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.
The expenses for the preparation of my burial will be covered by a sum provided by a benefactor, which I have arranged to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major. I have given the appropriate instructions to Msgr. Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Liberian Chapter.
May the Lord grant the deserved reward to those who have wished me well and will continue to pray for me. The suffering that marked the final part of my life, I offer to the Lord, for peace in the world and brotherhood among peoples.
Domus Sanctae Marthae, 29 June 2022
Confirmed attendance so far
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed on Tuesday that he will attend the funeral. “We will be present at the Pope’s funeral, as is only right,” he said during a press conference in Réunion.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump said he would attend, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also be present, according to a Kyiv source quoted by AFP.
