Pope Francis funeral: Schedule, the Novendiali, Mass details

On Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local Rome time, the funeral of Pope Francis will take place at St. Peter’s Basilica, with over 200,000 people expected to attend to pay their final respects to the deceased Vicar of Christ. The funeral Mass will be presided over by His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, who will lead the Catholic rites and blessings.

The funeral Mass will begin with an Entrance Antiphon, followed by the Penitential Act and the Collect, or opening prayer. Cardinal Battista will then read the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, followed by the singing of the Responsorial Psalm “The Lord is my Shepherd” and the Second Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians.

The Homily, a reflection on the life of Pope Francis, will be given by Cardinal Battista, followed by the consecration of the Body and Blood of Christ and the invitation for the faithful to receive Holy Communion. The funeral liturgy will include the chanting of Requiem Aeternam and a final Commendation and Farewell, including prayers for the deceased pontiff.

Following the funeral Mass, Pope Francis will be buried in a wooden casket at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a place he often visited during his papacy. The Novendiali, a nine-day period of prayer, remembrance, and mourning, will begin on the day of the funeral and will include Masses led by various cardinals in memory of the late pontiff.

The schedule for the Novendiali includes Masses for Vatican City employees, the Church of Rome, the Chapters of the Papal Basilicas, the Papal Chapel, the Roman Curia, the Eastern Churches, the members of the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, and the Papal Chapel. Each Mass will be presided over by a different cardinal, with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re leading the first Mass on the day of the funeral.

Pope Francis’ funeral will be a solemn and prayerful occasion, as the Catholic Church and the faithful gather to bid farewell to a beloved leader. The Novendiali will provide an opportunity for continued prayer and remembrance of the late pontiff, as the Church mourns his passing and celebrates his life and legacy.