For three days more than 250,000 people gave their last goodbye to the Pope in San Pedro. The coffin moved to the square for the exequial mass.
After three days where more than 250 thousand people participated in the wake of Pope Francis, his coffin was retired this Saturday from the Basilica of San Pedro to start the exequial mass in the Roman Square.
Then the time will come to perform the funeral processionwith a tour that will end in the tomb of the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor, where he will finally be buried, as he requested in his will.
President Javier Milei, together with the official delegation, are in the first row during the wake, as indicated by the Vatican protocol. In addition, more than 150 delegations are part of the world, including American president Donald Trump, the Brazilian Lula da Silva, the Frenchman Emmanuel Macron, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain.
The Mass in the Plaza de San Pedro is chaired by the Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, and will maintain a scheme that includes various readings, homily, a universal prayer, the consecration of bread and wine, the exchange of peace, communion and a moment of personal prayer.
Once the ceremony is over, Francisco’s body will be transferred to the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor, his final destination. He will be buried on the ground and his grave will only carry the registration in Latin: “Franciscus”.
What will the funeral courtship be
The funeral courtship of Pope Francis’s coffin will be transferred from the Plaza de San Pedro to the Basilica of Santa María la Mayor. On the way it will travel six kilometers through the city of Rome where it will go through various places loaded with symbolism for Catholicism.
The same will follow the layout of the former Via Papalis, the procession that the Pontiffs were formerly after being designated, between San Pedro del Vaticano and the Basilica of San Juan de Letán, Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome.
The procession will pass through the Prince Amadeo Gallery of Savoy, will travel the Corsican Vittorio Emmanuele and will arrive at the Plaza Venezia, and then turn to the imperial forums. From there, he will take the Via Labicana and the Merullana Via, leaving the San Juan de Letán background, until he reaches the Plaza de Santa María la Mayor.
Source: Ambito
