This morning, 11 August 2022, Pope Francis participated in the Funeral Liturgy of Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and President Emeritus of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.

The Funeral Liturgy was celebrated at 11am by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica, according to the Holy See Press Office.

At the end of the Eucharistic Celebration, the Holy Father Francis presided over the rite of the Ultima Commendatio and Valedictio.

Cardinal Jozef Tomko, who died on Saturday 8 August at the age of 98 at his residence in Rome, was the oldest member of the College of Cardinals.

After the funeral in St. Peter’s Basilica, the body will be taken to Bratislava, where it will be displayed in the city’s cathedral for two days. Afterwards, the remains will be transferred to Košice for the funeral on 16 August in St Elizabeth’s Cathedral, where the Cardinal will be buried.