Cardinals have gathered at the Vatican to plan Pope Francis’ funeral and the conclave to elect his successor following his death at the age of 88. They will also make other decisions about running the Catholic Church as world leaders and the faithful grieve the loss of history’s first Latin American pope. Immediate actions include determining when his body can be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica for public viewing. The first images of Pope Francis in a wooden casket, adorned in red vestments and his bishop’s mitre, were released on Tuesday, with the Vatican secretary of state praying over him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel where he lived. Pope Francis died after suffering a stroke that put him in a coma and led his heart to fail. He had been recovering from double pneumonia after a five-week hospitalization.
Pope Francis’ final public appearance was on Sunday when he delivered an Easter blessing and greeted followers from his popemobile, circling St. Peter’s Square. The Vatican announced that the first meeting of the Congregation of Cardinals would take place on Tuesday in the synod hall. They may allow public viewing of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica as early as Wednesday morning. According to norms approved by Pope Francis, the funeral and burial must occur between Friday and Sunday. In his final will, Pope Francis specified he wanted to be buried at St. Mary Major basilica, home to his favourite icon of the Virgin Mary. His body was transferred to the hotel chapel following a private viewing on Tuesday for Vatican officials and members of the pontifical household.
The pope’s formal apartments in the Apostolic Palace were sealed on Monday following a centuries-old ritual, led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Pope Francis chose to live in the Domus Santa Marta hotel instead of the palace, where his body was transferred to the hotel chapel following his death. Unlike previous popes, his body was placed in a simplified wooden coffin with a zinc coffin inside. In St. Peter’s Basilica, his coffin will be placed facing the pews, without an elevated bier, with the Pasqual candle nearby. The burial must take place between the fourth and sixth day after his death, likely on a Saturday or Sunday. The funeral will be presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals or another senior cardinal.
Following the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning known as the “novendiali.” During this time, cardinals gather in Rome for meetings before the conclave to elect the next pope. The conclave must begin 15-20 days after the “vacant See” is declared, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree. During secret voting sessions in the conclave, ballots are burned in a special stove. Black smoke indicates no pope has been elected, while white smoke indicates the cardinals have chosen the next head of the Catholic Church. The dean of the College of Cardinals, Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, or another senior cardinal, will preside over the funeral. Re and Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo, will play key roles in preparations for the conclave to choose Pope Francis’ successor.
