Pope Francis Passes Away: Details of His Final Farewell

The Vatican prepares for a grand funeral service honoring Pope Francis, who passed away, with observances reflecting a deep-rooted papal history. The schedule for the multi-day event is still pending as the world mourns the loss of a beloved leader.

As the world grapples with the loss of Pope Francis, details are emerging about his upcoming funeral, which will honor the long-standing customs of the Catholic Church. The mournful observances will allow individuals from across the globe to pay their respects in person before the pontiff is laid to rest.

The process will begin when the Vatican's health director confirms the pope's passing. The camerlengo, who oversees Vatican operations until a new pope is elected, will then remove the papal ring from Francis’s finger—the emblematic fisherman’s ring. This ring, engraved with the pontiff's name, is traditionally destroyed after his death to symbolize the end of his papacy and paves the way for a new ring to be created for the next Holy Father.

Francis's body will first be taken to his private chapel, as the camerlengo proceeds to seal the pontiff’s personal study and bedroom at Casa Santa Marta—the guesthouse where Francis made a historic choice to reside, consciously avoiding the lavish papal apartments that previous pontiffs inhabited.

Cardinals worldwide will receive invitations from the dean of the College of Cardinals to converge in Rome for the funeral and partake in selecting the next pope. A public viewing of Francis's body, adorned in papal vestments with a white miter, is scheduled to take place at St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing the faithful to bid a final farewell.

The funeral service, typically held between the fourth and sixth day following the pope's death, will feature a solemn public Mass conducted by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the current dean of the College of Cardinals, at St. Peter's Basilica. In a simplification issued by Francis in 2024, the traditional use of three coffins will be minimized to a single wooden coffin lined with zinc.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s funeral in late 2022 saw tens of thousands in attendance under foggy conditions, contrasting sharply with the two million mourners who turned out for Pope John Paul II's passing in 2005, after his long and impactful papacy. Benedict, having served less than eight years, spent nearly ten years living in the Vatican as a pope emeritus before his death.

Gaia Pianigiani continues her coverage of pivotal news throughout Italy and Europe, providing insights into this significant event.