He Pope Francis’s funeral It will be held this Saturday in the Plaza de San Pedro, as the Roman Catholic cardinals decided on Tuesday, who prepare the stage for a solemn ceremony that will attract leaders around the world.
Francisco, 88 years old, He died unexpectedly on Monday After suffering a stroke and cardiac arrest, the Vatican reported, ending a often turbulent pontificate in which he faced the traditionalists repeatedly and defended the poor and marginalized. The Argentine pontiff spent five weeks at the hospital at the beginning of the year due to double pneumonia. But he returned to the Vatican almost a month ago and seemed to recover when he appeared in the Plaza de San Pedro on Sunday of Resurrection.
The Vatican released Francisco’s photographs dressed in his ornaments on a wooden coffin in the Santa Marta residence chapel, where he lived during his 12 years of papacy, with Swiss guards on both sides of the coffin.
Photo: AFP
His body will be transferred to the adjacent Basilica of San Pedro on Wednesday morning at 9:00 local time (1:00 am of the CDMX), in a procession headed by Cardinals, which will allow the faithful to present their last respect for the first Latin American Pope.
His funeral will be held in the Plaza de San Pedro, in the shadow of the Basilica, on Saturday at 10:00 local time (2:00 am of the CDMX). The president of the United States, Donald Trumpwho repeatedly faced the Pope about immigration, said he and his wife would fly to Rome for the service.
Among other heads of state who announced their assistance were Javier Mileipresident of Argentina, Francisco’s home country, the Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvaand the Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskiaccording to a source of your office.
Ancient rituals
In rupture with tradition, Francisco confirmed in his final testament published on Monday that he wanted to be buried in the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor de Rome and not in the Basilica of San Pedro, where many of his predecessors are buried. His sudden death has launched old rituals, since the Church of 1,400 million members initiated the transition from one Pope to another, including the Rupture of the “Fisherman’s Ring” of the Pope and the lead seal, so no one else can use them.
All Cardinals of Rome were summoned to a meeting on Tuesday to decide the sequence of events in the next few days and review the daily functioning of the Church in the period prior to the choice of a New Pope.
The conclave To choose a new Pope, he is normally celebrated between 15 and 20 days after the death of a pontiff, so he should not start before May 6. Some 135 cardinals can participate in the secret vote, which can last several days before the white smoke leaves the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and informs the world that a new Pope has been chosen. At the moment there is no clear favorite to happen to Francisco.
PROGRESSIVE
Pope Francis inherited a disorganized church and struggled to reform the central administration of the Vatican, eradicate corruption And, after a slow beginning, cope with the scourge of the abuse of minors in the ranks of the priesthood.
He often collided with the conservatives, nostalgic of a traditional past, who saw Francis as excessively liberal and too complicating with minority groups, such as the LGTBQ+community.
Francisco appointed almost 80% of the voters distributed throughout the world who will choose the next Pope, which increases, although he does not guarantee, the possibility that his successor will continue with their progressive policies.
Many of the cardinals are little known outside their countries and will have the opportunity to meet in meetings known as general congregations that are held in the days prior to the start of a conclave and in which the necessary qualities for the next Pope are outlined.
The Vatican reported Monday that the personnel and representatives of the Holy See could immediately begin to present their respects before the Pope’s body at the residence of Santa Marta, where Francisco settled in 2013, avoiding the great apostolic palace in which they had lived their predecessors.
