On Wednesday morning, in an atmosphere of recollection and solemnity, Pope Francis’ body was transferred from Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica, in a rite presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, and accompanied by the College of Cardinals gathered in Rome.

The ceremony began with a prayer in the chapel of the residence where the Holy Father lived his final years. In his opening remarks, Cardinal Farrell thanked God for the fruits of Francis’ pontificate, which for more than a decade served the Church with dedication and closeness.

“We leave this home with gratitude for the gifts that the Lord has granted to his people through his servant, Pope Francis,” the cardinal prayed. “We ask that he welcome him into his Kingdom and comfort the Church and believers throughout the world with the hope of Heaven.”

The coffin was carried in procession through Piazza Santa Marta, passing through the Arch of the Bells to reach St. Peter’s Square, where more than 20,000 people waited in silence. As the coffin crossed the esplanade, a soft ovation broke the stillness: it was the respectful homage of a people bidding farewell to their pastor.

Once inside the Vatican Basilica, the coffin was placed in front of the Altar of Confession. There, the voices of the choir resounded, intoning the Litany of the Saints in Latin, while the faithful joined in prayer for the Pope’s soul.

During the brief Liturgy of the Word, the Gospel of John (17:24-26) was proclaimed, in which Jesus raises his prayer to the Father for his disciples and for all those who will believe in him. To close the rite, the Salve Regina was sung, a traditional Marian hymn that invokes the Virgin as Mother of Mercy.

After this moment, the cardinals approached to pay homage to the Holy Father, followed by thousands of faithful who began to file through the Basilica.

Visitation and Funeral Hours

The Basilica will remain open for visits until midnight on Wednesday, from 7:00 a.m. to midnight on Thursday, and from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday.

Pope Francis’ funeral will be held on Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square. The Mass will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, accompanied by representatives of the entire Church: patriarchs, cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, and lay people from various countries.

After the celebration, the body will be brought back into St. Peter’s Basilica and later transferred to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where he will be buried, in fulfillment of his Marian wish.

This Friday, April 25, Pope Francis’s coffin will be closed

This Friday, April 25, at 8:00 p.m., in St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, will preside over the rite of closing the coffin of the Roman Pontiff Francis, as established by the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis. Important ecclesiastical figures will participate in this ceremony, such as Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Roger Michael Mahony, Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, and Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Also, present will be Cardinal Pietro Parolin, former Secretary of State; Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome; and Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Almoner of His Holiness, along with other members of the ecclesiastical hierarchy and dignitaries of the Holy See.