Verghese V Joseph –
The funeral Mass of His Holiness Pope Francis will be solemnly celebrated on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. local time (India time 1.30 pm), marking the first day of the traditional nine-day mourning period known as the Novendiali.
This announcement was officially made today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, following the death of the pontiff on April 21 at the age of 88.
The funeral liturgy will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, who at 91 years old, is a veteran churchman with a long history of service including his tenure as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. Cardinal Re will lead the rites in accordance with the recently updated Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, the official liturgical book governing the funeral rites of Roman Pontiffs, which was revised and approved by Pope Francis himself in 2024. This edition introduced several significant changes to papal funerals, including the elimination of the traditional three-coffin system and the simplification of the body’s presentation.
The funeral Mass will be attended by the Patriarchs and Cardinals, who are requested to arrive by 8:30 a.m. at the Braccio di Costantino, bringing their white damask mitres for the ceremony. Archbishops and Bishops will also participate, assembling directly in their reserved sector in Saint Peter’s Square by 8:30 a.m., dressed in appropriate liturgical vestments including the amice, surplice, cincture, and red stole. Members of the Papal Chapel who wish to attend without concelebrating must request special notification and wear their choral habits, assembling by 9:00 a.m. on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica.
Following the Eucharistic celebration, the rites will conclude with the Ultima commendatio and Valedictio, prayers that formally commend the soul of the deceased pontiff to God. After these final prayers, the coffin will be solemnly carried into Saint Peter’s Basilica and subsequently transferred to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major for burial.
Pope Francis’s burial at Saint Mary Major marks a historic departure from centuries of tradition, as he will be the first pope in over 100 years not to be interred in Saint Peter’s Basilica. This decision reflects the pope’s personal devotion to an icon of the Virgin Mary housed at Saint Mary Major, a place he had expressed a wish to be buried near, describing it as “my great devotion” and stating that “the place is already prepared”. His burial will be simple, in accordance with his wishes, “in the ground, without particular decoration,” with his papal name inscribed in Latin as “Franciscus”.
The funeral rites will follow the protocols set by the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis, which includes the formal ascertainment of death by the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell. The Camerlengo also oversees the rite of translation, which is the procession of the pope’s body from his residence at Casa Santa Marta to Saint Peter’s Basilica, scheduled for Wednesday, April 23 at 9:00 a.m. local time. This procession includes a moment of prayer and the singing of the Litany of the Saints.
The pope’s body currently lies in an open coffin in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, where the public and clergy have been able to pay their respects since his death. The new funeral rites approved by Pope Francis last year specify that the body is to be displayed in a simple coffin rather than on an elevated bier, allowing the faithful a more intimate veneration experience.
On the night before the funeral, the coffin will be sealed in a ceremony presided over by the Camerlengo and senior cardinals. A white cloth will be placed over the pope’s face, and a bag containing coins minted during his papacy along with a one-page official account of his pontificate (known as the “rogito”) will be placed inside the coffin. This document is read aloud before being sealed within the coffin, with a copy retained in the Vatican archives.
The funeral is expected to draw numerous dignitaries and world leaders, reflecting Pope Francis’s global influence during his 12-year papacy, which was marked by his advocacy for marginalized communities and efforts to reform the Church. Among the confirmed attendees is former U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who announced he and First Lady Melania Trump will attend the funeral in Rome.
This solemn occasion not only marks the end of Pope Francis’s impactful pontificate but also initiates the period of sede vacante, the vacancy of the papal seat, which will culminate in the conclave to elect his successor. The College of Cardinals has already convened to finalize funeral arrangements and begin preparations for the upcoming papal election.
The funeral of Pope Francis on April 26, 2025, will be a historic and deeply spiritual event, blending ancient liturgical traditions with the personal wishes of the late pontiff. It will be held in the heart of the Catholic world, Saint Peter’s Square, presided over by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, and conclude with the pope’s burial at Saint Mary Major, a site reflecting his profound Marian devotion. The world watches as the Church honours a pope who shaped its modern era with humility, simplicity, and a call for mercy.
Of Mahatma Gandhi it was once said that future generations would find it hard believe that such a one straddled the earth. The same may now be said of Pope Francis. Humble homage to a great servant leader and lover of human kind