The funeral of Pope Francis will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, according to a statement released on Tuesday by the Holy See Press Office.
The statement noted that Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the Mass, which will be concelebrated by Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests from around the world.
It added that the Eucharistic celebration will end with the Ultima commendatio and the Valedictio. Afterwards, Pope Francis’ body will be taken into St. Peter’s Basilica, and then to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for entombment. Prior to the funeral, the Pope’s coffin 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 lead the rite of translation on Wednesday, April 23, beginning at 9:00 a.m. with a moment of prayer. The procession will move through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs, 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, Cardinal Farrell will preside over the Liturgy of the Word, after which visits to the body of the late Roman Pontiff will begin.
It will be recalled that the Vatican confirmed Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at his residence in Casa Santa Marta within Vatican City. Cardinal Kevin Farrell officially announced the Pope’s death from the Casa Santa Marta on Monday morning, stating that the pontiff died at exactly 7:35 a.m.
