Pope Francis will be laid to rest on Saturday, the Vatican has announced, following his death from stroke and heart failure on Easter Monday.
The 88-year-old pontiff, who battled a long illness, was the first Latin American and first Jesuit pope. He was also the first to take the name Francis, chosen in tribute to Saint Francis of Assisi.
In line with tradition, the burial will take place between the fourth and sixth day after death. This time frame, established in 1966 and reaffirmed through later updates, allows for key rites and funeral preparations.
According to the Holy See press office, Francis’ body will be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, where it will lie in state until the funeral on Saturday morning.
The funeral mass will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista, dean of the College of Cardinals. The service will be co-celebrated by patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and priests from around the world.
In his will, written in 2022, Francis requested a simple burial without elaborate decoration. His resting place will bear only the inscription: Franciscus. The Vatican also noted that an anonymous benefactor will cover the funeral expenses, in line with the late pope’s wishes.
Francis’ death marks the end of a historic papacy defined by humility, social justice advocacy, and efforts to modernize the Catholic Church. He succeeded Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned in 2013 — the first pope to do so since 1294 — and passed away in 2022 at the age of 95.
The last pope to die while in office before Francis was Pope John Paul II, who died on April 2, 2005.
