Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
The news of Pope Francis’ death this morning wasn’t shocking considering his frail health but filled catholic Christian with sorrow and the world at large considering the esteemed mark he left on the global society through his devotion and views. Following papal tradition, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, has assumed the role of overseeing the Church’s daily affairs during a period known as the Sede Vacante (vacant seat). Though he is not the Pope, he functions as the Church’s temporary administrator until a new pontiff is elected and he is expected to lead the rite of the ascertainment of death and the placement of Pope Francis’ body in the coffin this evening at 8:00 PM (7pm local time), in the Chapel of the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
Before his passing, Pope Francis had taken steps to simplify the elaborate papal funeral traditions, of which in a December 2023 interview, he confirmed that he had worked with Vatican officials to revise the funeral rites, choosing a more humble approach. Unlike former Pope’s, Pope Francis will not be buried beneath St. Peter’s Basilica but the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, a site of personal devotion where the pope frequently prayed before the icon “Salus Populi Romani.” He chosed the site and insisted on being buried in a single wooden coffin, eliminating the use of the traditional triple-casket arrangement and other formal ceremonies.
His body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica starting Wednesday, April 23, for public viewing, with funeral rites expected between April 25 and April 27.
