Vatican Announces Date for Pope Francis’ Funeral, Location, Other Fresh Details

• The Vatican has announced that the funeral Mass for Pope Francis will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square
• The Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, and will be concelebrated by top Catholic leaders from around the world
• From Wednesday, April 23, Pope Francis’ body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing the faithful to pay their respects before his entombment at the Basilica of St. Mary Major

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The Vatican has announced that the funeral of Pope Francis will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square.

This was according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Holy See Press Office.

Pope Francis’ funeral scheduled for April 26 in St. Peter’s Square

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The Vatican also announced that Pope Francis’ body will be transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica tomorrow morning, Wednesday, April 23, to allow worshippers to pay their respects ahead of his funeral Saturday, Sky News reported.

Pope Francis: Burial arrangement

According to the statement, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, “Will preside at the Mass, which will be concelebrated by Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests from across the globe.”

It added:

“The Eucharistic celebration will conclude with the Ultima commendatio and the Valedictio. The late Pope Francis’ body will then be taken into St. Peter’s Basilica and then to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for entombment. Ahead of the funeral, the coffin containing the Pope’s body will be carried from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica.

“Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, will preside over the rite of translation on Wednesday, April 23, which will begin at 9:00 AM with a moment of prayer. The procession will pass through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs, according to the Holy See Press Office.

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“The procession will then exit through the Arch of the Bells into St. Peter’s Square and enter the Vatican Basilica through the central door. At the Altar of the Confession, the Cardinal Camerlengo will preside over the Liturgy of the Word, at the conclusion of which the visits to the body of the Roman Pontiff will commence.”

Canon law expert explains Vatican power flows

As preparations begin for the conclave following the death of Pope Francis, a legal expert in canon law, Fabiola Lacagnina, has shed light on the Vatican's internal workings during the papal interregnum.

“The camerlengo is the central figure in the management of the ordinary affairs of the Church, assisted by two separate collegial bodies,” Lacagnina told Legit.ng.

She explained the distinct roles of these bodies:

“The General Congregations, which include all cardinals who are not impeded (electors or not, with the faculty of abstention for non-electors), deal with the most important and urgent decisions, such as the choice of the starting date for the conclave.”

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“The Particular Congregations, on the other hand, formed by three cardinals chosen by lot among the electors and rotated every three days (also during the conclave), handle minor matters, including administrative matters or those already dealt with by the dicasteries,” she added.

Lacagnina also spoke on the roles of other key figures:

“In addition to the camerlengo, important roles are also played by the dean of the college of cardinals, who has the task of convening and presiding over meetings (Art. 9 and 19), the secretary of the conclave and the protodeacon, who is responsible for the public announcement of the new Pope with the famous habemus papam.”

The Italian-based legal expert cited The Causes of Saints and the Pontifical Lateran University as her references for her submissions

How Pope Francis died

Legit.ng reported that Jorge Mario Bergoglio, better known as Pope Francis, died on Monday, April 21, 2025.

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The Vatican confirmed that this happened a day after Pope Francis appeared in St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday, April 20, after surviving a serious bout of double pneumonia.

The Vatican also officially confirmed that Pope Francis died as a result of a stroke.

The Vatican, in a statement, noted that the stroke led to a coma and eventually irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse, ending his historic papacy at the age of 88.

Read more about Pope Francis here

• Pope Francis: Meet 2 African cardinals who may become the next pope
• Pope Francis: Peter Obi pays glowing tribute to Pontiff who died at 88, “A voice for justice, unity is gone”

Pope Francis' death: US cardinal takes over the Vatican

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Cardinal Kevin Farrell, a Dublin-born American, has been named interim head of the Vatican following Pope Francis’ death, as part of the papal interregnum.

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As Camerlengo, Farrell is responsible for verifying the Pope’s death, managing Vatican affairs, and overseeing preparations for the conclave and funeral.

Known for his administrative skills and trust from Pope Francis, Farrell will lead transitional duties until a new pontiff is elected.

Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from an Italian-based canon law expert for this report.

Source: Legit.ng