International

Pope Francis to Be Laid to Rest Saturday at St. Mary Major

Published

3 weeks ago

Apr 22, 2025.

Femi Fabunmi

Funeral Mass scheduled for Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re to lead the service alongside global Church leaders.
Pope Francis to be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major after final rites.

The Vatican has officially announced that the funeral of Pope Francis will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025.

EkoHotBlog scoops that the ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, located in Vatican City, which is the spiritual and administrative center of the Roman Catholic Church.

According to a statement released by the Holy See Press Office on Tuesday, the funeral Mass will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who serves as the Dean of the College of Cardinals.

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He will be joined by top-ranking members of the Catholic Church, including Patriarchs, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and priests from many countries around the world. Their presence will reflect Pope Francis’ global influence and the deep respect he earned during his time as leader of the Church.

The funeral service will conclude with two important Catholic rites: the Ultima commendatio (Final Commendation) and the Valedictio (Final Farewell).

These solemn rituals will mark the official goodbye to the Pope. After the Mass, the Pope’s body will be taken into St. Peter’s Basilica. From there, it will be transported to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of Rome’s most important churches, where he will be buried.

Before the funeral, on Wednesday, April 23, a special ceremony will take place to move the Pope’s body from the Casa Santa Marta — his private residence — to St. Peter’s Basilica.

This procession will begin at 9:00 a.m. with a prayer led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who is the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, a key official who oversees the Church between the death of a pope and the election of a new one.

The procession will travel through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs, then pass through the Arch of the Bells before arriving at St. Peter’s Basilica. At the Altar of the Confession, a special Liturgy of the Word (a scripture-based service) will take place. After that, the public will be allowed to visit and pay their respects to the Pope’s body.

Pope Francis passed away peacefully on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at exactly 7:35 a.m. He died at the age of 88 in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta. His death was formally announced by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, as required by Church tradition.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, made history in 2013 when he became the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to be elected to the papacy.

He was known for his humility, concern for the poor, and efforts to reform the Church. His death has drawn messages of grief and admiration from religious leaders, political figures, and citizens around the world.

Many say his legacy will live on through his teachings, his kindness, and the major changes he brought to the Catholic Church.

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