Latest Vatican Headlines: Pope Francis Funeral details
Pope Francis’ body to lie in state until funeral on Saturday morning
The funeral Mass of Pope Francis will be celebrated at 10am (6pm AEST) Saturday, April 26, in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican has announced. The late pope’s body was transferred to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday to lie in state until his funeral on Saturday morning.
Vatican postpones canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis
“Following the death of Supreme Pontiff Francis, notice is hereby given that the Eucharistic celebration and Rite of Canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis, scheduled for April 27, 2025, [The Second] Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy, on the occasion of the Jubilee of Adolescents, is suspended,” the Holy See Press Office said in a statement.
Pope Francis’ final hours and gratitude for returning to the Square
Among the final words of the late Pope Francis was a “thank you” to his personal healthcare assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, for encouraging him to take one last ride in the popemobile on Sunday after the Urbi et Orbi. He rested in the afternoon, had a quiet dinner, and then at dawn suddenly fell ill and died.
Francis first pope to open Holy Door without living to close it
The Pope opened the Holy Door on December 24, 2024, marking the beginning of the Holy Year 2025, a tradition normally celebrated in the Church every 25 years as a time of spiritual renewal and pilgrimage.
His death four months later means the Holy Door will be sealed by his successor – an unprecedented moment in the modern history of Jubilee celebrations.
How the Catholic Church will pick a successor
The death of Pope Francis has triggered a period of mourning in the Vatican and signals the start of a millennia-old process of picking a new pontiff.
It is a procedure steeped in tradition, but one which has been subtly updated for the modern world.
Cardinals from around the world must gather for the conclave in which Francis’s successor is selected. It typically takes between two and three weeks for a pope to be chosen, though it can stretch beyond that if cardinals struggle to agree on a candidate.
Australian Catholics mourn Pope Francis
Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference President, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, says Pope Francis will be remembered as a man of simplicity, humility, and compassion.
“The sad news of the death of Pope Francis, while it does not come as a surprise given his age and his declining health in recent years, will be received with great sadness by Catholics, and by people of goodwill, all over the world,” Archbishop Costelloe said.