By TheWatch.NG – April 22, 2025
The Vatican has announced that the funeral of Pope Francis will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) in St. Peter’s Square, with burial to follow at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
The Argentine-born pontiff, who died on Monday at the age of 88, passed away from a cerebral stroke that led to a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse. His death marks the end of a historic 12-year papacy as the first Jesuit and Latin American pope in the Catholic Church’s history.
After the funeral Mass in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, the coffin of Pope Francis will be taken into the basilica and then transported to Santa Maria Maggiore, a church deeply significant to his spiritual journey. He visited the basilica before and after nearly every international trip during his papacy, often in quiet prayer to the Virgin Mary.
Public viewing of his body will begin on Wednesday, April 23, at St. Peter’s Basilica, allowing mourners from around the world to pay their final respects.
Pope Francis will be remembered for his unwavering advocacy for the poor, global peace, interfaith unity, and climate justice. His papacy was defined by humility, reform efforts, and a renewed emphasis on compassion within the Catholic Church.
