Pope Francis’ funeral will take place on Saturday, the Vatican announced Tuesday, after the College of Cardinals officially met for the first time since the catholic leader’s death to plan for his last rites and the subsequent process of choosing his successor.
Pope Francis's body is laid out in state inside his private chapel at the Vatican.
The pope’s funeral is set to take place a 10 a.m. local time on Saturday in St. Peter’s Square.
The Vatican released photos of Francis lying in state at his residence, Casa Santa Marta and announced that the casket will be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday.
Officials said the “translation of the body” to the Basilica is being done to “allow all the faithful to pay their respects.”
Saturday’s funeral mass will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals—the body whose members will elect the next pope.
A nine day period of mourning will be observed after the funeral and then the Pope’s body will be “taken into St. Peter’s Basilica and then to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for entombment,” according to Vatican News.
Last year, Francis revised various papal funeral rites and rituals to cut back a lot of the associated pomp and pageantry. Traditionally, a deceased pope was laid to rest inside three stacked coffins, made of cypress wood, lead, and oak. However, after the changes enacted by him last year, Francis' body is being placed inside a wooden coffin with a zinc coffin inside it.
This is a developing story.