Catholics light candles in front of a portrait of the late Pope Francis at Manila Cathedral in Manila, April 22, 2025. Credit Line: Aaron Favila / AP / Profimedia
Pope Francis's funerals will take place on Saturday, April 26, at 10.00 (11.00, Romania time), according to an announcement of the Vatican, writes the BBC.
Also, the Vatican said that Pope Francis's coffin will be taken to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning at 09:00, where he will stay until the funeral, so that people can pay a last tribute to the Pontiff.
Currently, the coffin with the pope's lifeless body is in the chapel of Santa Marta residence, where Francis lived during his 12 -year papacy.
The decisions were made by the cardinals who met on Tuesday to plan Pope Francis's funeral. The funerals will participate in the whole world, before next month's conclave for choosing a new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Images with Pope Francis in an open coffin were published by the Vatican on Tuesday.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday, April 21, on the second Easter day. Unlike many predecessors, Francis will not be buried in the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Peter, but in the Basilica of Saint Mary of Rome, as he wished. He also asked to be buried in a simple wooden coffin.
Live was set the date of Pope Francis's funerals. Images from St. Peter's Square and the chapel in which the video coffin is deposited
What happens next in the Roman Catholic Church
The conclave for choosing a new pope begins in the Vatican Sistine Chapel 15-20 days after the pope's death.
The cardinals, who are imprisoned at the Vatican during the conclave, decide the exact day.
All cardinals under the age of 80 can take part in the secret vote. They need a majority of at least two thirds plus one to choose the new pope, so the vote can take several rounds over several days.
At the end of the elections, the new Pope is asked if he accepts dignity and what name he wants to take.
The world finds the news of choosing a new pope when an official burns the ballots with special chemicals that generate a white smoke, which comes out on the chapel.
They use other chemicals to produce black smoke indicating an inconclusive vote.
The dean of the Cardinal College then climbs into the central balcony of Saint Peter basil to announce “Habemus Papam” (we have Pope).
The new pope then appears and gives his blessing to the crowd in the market.
