What We Know Ahead of Pope Francis’s Funeral

AFP/APP

Vatican City: Pope Francis, who died this week at the age of 88 from a stroke at the Vatican, will be buried on Saturday. World leaders and worshippers are expected to attend his funeral before a conclave of cardinals is convened to elect a successor. Here’s what we know about the processes leading up to the election of a new pope.

Lying in State

Francis’s body was taken on Wednesday morning to lie in state in St Peter’s Basilica, where mourners have been able to pay their respects from 11:00 am (0900 GMT). His open coffin — made of wood and zinc as per his personal request was placed on a simple wooden bier before the basilica’s altar, rather than the ornate podiums used for his predecessors.

The body will remain on display for three days. Before the transfer to the basilica, the coffin was kept at the Casa Santa Marta residence, where the pope had lived during his 12-year papacy. A colorful procession, including cardinals, bishops, monks, and nuns, carried the coffin to its final resting place.

Funeral

Pope Francis’s funeral will take place at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on Saturday in St Peter’s Square. Following the ceremony, his coffin will be moved back inside before being taken to Rome’s basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial. World leaders and faithful from across the globe are expected to gather in Rome for the occasion.

Some notable attendees include US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Britain’s Prince William. Authorities anticipate the attendance of up to 170 foreign delegations and around 200,000 visitors, which will require extensive security measures.

Conclave

The conclave, during which 135 “cardinal electors” will select the new pope, will begin no less than 15 and no more than 20 days after Pope Francis’s death, likely between May 5 and May 10. The cardinals will meet in the Sistine Chapel and hold four ballots a day — two in the morning and two in the afternoon — until a candidate receives two-thirds of the votes.

After each voting session, the ballots will be burned in a stove, with smoke signals above the Apostolic Palace indicating the outcome: black smoke for an unsuccessful vote, and white smoke for the election of a new pope.

Camerlengo

The camerlengo is the senior cardinal responsible for overseeing the Vatican’s operations between the death of one pope and the election of his successor. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, an Irish-born cleric, currently holds this position.

The camerlengo leads the “general congregations” of cardinals, where decisions about the funeral and the upcoming conclave are made. All other Vatican officials must resign following the pope’s death, except for the camerlengo.

A first general congregation of around 60 cardinals took place on Tuesday, during which the funeral date was determined. A second meeting was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Fatal Stroke

Pope Francis passed away from a “cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse,” according to the death certificate released by the Vatican, which announced his death early on Monday morning.