The body of Pope Francis was carried in solemn procession into St. Peter’s Basilica on April 23 to allow a public viewing period for the faithful to visit his body and bid farewell.
More than 20,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square, paying their respects as the wooden coffin was carried into the basilica, with the College of Cardinals walking in procession with it.
The procession was part of what is known as the “rite of translation.” Led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the rite began in the chapel of the pope’s former residence, Casa Santa Marta, with a prayer for his soul and thanksgiving for his 12-year reign on the throne of St. Peter.
Farrell is the camerlengo (or chamberlain) of the Catholic Church—the Vatican official whose duties include coordinating the late pontiff’s funeral and calling the conclave that will elect his successor.
“As we now leave this home, let us thank the Lord for the countless gifts he bestowed on the Christian people through his servant, Pope Francis,” Farrell said.
“Let us ask him, in his mercy and kindness, to grant to the late Pope an eternal home in the kingdom of heaven and to comfort with the celestial hope the papal family, the Church in Rome, and the faithful throughout the world.”
The coffin was placed in front of the high altar inside the basilica, as a choir chanted the litany of the saints in Latin.
Farrell then read from the Gospel of John—a reading that included Jesus’s priestly prayer proclaiming God’s love for him and his disciples.
The Latin hymn “Salve Regina” was chanted, concluding the rite.
The line of mourners reportedly stretched for hours. The Vatican announced that the basilica would remain open until midnight local time and then reopen for visitations from 7 a.m. to midnight on April 24 and again from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 25.
At 8 p.m. local time on April 25, Farrell will preside over the rite of closing and sealing the coffin, accompanied by a number of senior Vatican officials, including Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals; Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin; and Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, vicar general of Vatican City.
Pope Francis’s funeral will be held at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. EDT) on April 26 in St. Peter’s Square. The pope will be buried at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, located a few miles away.
The funeral marks the start of a nine-day period of mourning and prayer, after which the cardinals will meet in conclave to pray, discern, and elect a new pope.
