Vatican to hold pope’s funeral on Saturday

By Emma Bubola

Pope Francis’ funeral will take place Saturday in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Vatican announced Tuesday, and will feature simpler rituals in keeping with the more down-to-earth, informal style that became a trademark of Francis’ papacy.

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the ceremony, and the rites will follow rules issued by the Vatican last year, under Francis’ direction.

On Tuesday, the pope’s body lay in rest at his residency, Casa Santa Marta, a guesthouse in Vatican City. Images released by the Vatican showed Francis in an open coffin, dressed in red and white vestments and holding a rosary. On Wednesday, the coffin will be taken in a procession to St. Peter’s Basilica to lie in state for about three days, with mourners allowed to visit and pay tribute.

Memorial Masses for Francis were being offered across the world Tuesday, including at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney and Manila Cathedral in the Philippines. Flags flew at half-staff at government buildings, and days of official mourning began in a number of countries, including Italy, Brazil, Lebanon, India and Argentina, the pontiff’s homeland.

Political and religious leaders from around the globe are expected to attend the pope’s funeral service. Francis had confronted some over their treatment of dispossessed groups, especially migrants. President Donald Trump, who was one of them, said he planned to attend, adding another wrinkle for Vatican planners, given the size of his entourage. It is likely to be Trump’s first overseas trip this term.

Here’s what else to know:

— Choosing a new pope: Within hours of the announcement of Francis’ death, cardinals from around the world began heading to the Vatican to bury the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and to prepare to choose his successor, a process that takes place behind closed doors. Cardinals younger than 80 have a vote, meaning that 135 men will soon begin making a decision that will shape the future of a church with 1.3 billion adherents around the world. The conclave, as it is called, begins sometime after the funeral rites. A date has not been announced yet.

— Francis’ health: The Vatican said Francis died of a cerebral stroke that brought on a coma and the collapse of his cardiovascular system.

— His will: The Vatican released the pope’s will, in which he said he wanted to be laid to rest at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, where six other popes are buried. He requested an undecorated tomb with only the inscription “Franciscus” and specified that “the tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration.”

— Papal legacy: Francis’ admirers remembered him for his openness to members of the LGBTQ+ community. He also created thousands of bishops and appointed more than half of the College of Cardinals, at times transforming the inner workings of the church, and spotlighted issues like climate change and the plight of migrants worldwide.