Pope Francis's funeral - watch live: Taoiseach, Tánaiste and President among attendees in the Vatican
15 minutes ago
The funeral of
Pope Francis
will take place at 9am Irish time in St Peter's Square in the
Vatican City
.
Hundred of thousands of mourners are expected to attend, including President
Michael D Higgins
, Taoiseach
Micheál Martin
and Tánaiste
Simon Harris
.
The 88-year-old pontiff died on Monday after suffering a stroke and heart failure.
Among world leaders expected to attend are US president
Donald Trump
and UK prime minister
Keir Starmer
.
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will be like no other
Who will be the next pope after Francis and
how does the process work?
Conor Pope -
3 minutes ago
Last night Cardinal Kevin Farrell the Camerlengo from Driminagh, presided over the closing and sealing of the coffin.
The ceremony began with the reading of a document listing the stages of Jorge Mario Bergoglio's life and his most important activities as Pope. The one-page written account of his papacy is called a 'rogito' in Italian which translates as an official deed.
It said the memory of the 266th Pope 'remains in the heart of the Church and of all humanity'.
'He was a simple and popular pastor in his archdiocese, [in Buenos Aires] who travelled far and wide, even by metro and bus. He lived in a flat and prepared his own food because he felt like a normal person.'
Archbishop Diego Ravelli spread a white silk cloth over the face of the Pope, while Cardinal-Camerlengo Farrell sprinkled Francis with holy water.
As is the tradition, a bag of coins minted during the papacy of Francis was placed in the coffin along with the 'rogito'
The lid was then placed on the zinc coffin, along with Francis' cross and coat of arms and a plaque with the Pope's name and the duration of his life and his papacy while psalms were sung.
After the zinc coffin was sealed, the seals of the Cardinal-Camerlengo and the Prefecture of the Papal Household, the Office for Liturgical Celebrations and the Vatican Chapter were imprinted. The wooden coffin, which bears a cross and the coat of arms of the deceased pope, was then sealed.
Conor Pope -
6 minutes ago
Francis made it clear he wanted to break with the traditions surrounding papal funerals and just 12 months ago published a more simplified process so that he could be 'laid out and buried like any son or daughter of the church.'
In times past, Popes have been laid to rest in three coffin. A coffin made of cypress wood was placed inside one made of lead and then into a one carved out of oak. The body of Pope Francis - at his request - was placed in just one coffin made of wood and lined with zinc.
Conor Pope -
8 minutes ago
After the mass and the final blessings, the wooden coffin will travel in a solemn procession the 4km to the Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, a journey through the Eternal City that will take around 40 minutes.
'As I've always promised the Virgin, the place is already prepared,' he said in an interview with Mexican TV in 2023. 'I want to be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore because it's my great devotion.'
Once there, Pope Francis will be buried in the ground in an undecorated tomb marked with just one word: Franciscus. It will be a private ceremony with the grave open to visitors from Sunday morning.
Conor Pope -
18 minutes ago
Pictures from the Vatican show a city getting ready to mourn the passing of a global leader.
Cardinals arrive for late Pope Francis' funeral ceremony at St Peter's Square in The Vatican. Photograph: Isabella Bonotto/AFP
Nuns hug in front of St Peter's Basilica before the funeral ceremony gets underway. Photograph JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)
A man holding a ballon with an image of the late Pope Francis waits along a crowded Via della Conciliazione street ahead of the funeral ceremony. Photograph: HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP
Conor Pope -
23 minutes ago
What is going to happen today? The funeral mass begins once the solemn tolling of the Basilica's bells which start proceedings fall silent.
The service is being led by the dean of the college of cardinals Italian cardinal Giovanni Battista Re and the ceremony is based on
the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis which translates as the Rite of Burial for Roman Pontiffs.
On Friday the Vatican has released the order of service.
It is very long
It starts with the Litany of the Saints which sung during the procession of the Pope's coffin to its place at the front of the Altar.
Much of the singing that will be heard will be from the Sistine Chapel Choir - the Pope's personal choir. The 20 permanent adult singers and 35 boy singers perform at official papal events and it has been in existence for around 1,500 years making it the oldest choir in the world.
Conor Pope -
34 minutes ago
To give you a sense of the geography of the St Peter's Square funeral, the cardinals and the senior clerics of the Church will be positioned to the left of the Basilica as you face it from the square with the world leaders and other dignitaries seated to the right with the altar and the coffin of Pope Francis positioned between them. Behind the dignitaries are the general public and behind the cardinals and bishops are other clergy and members of religious orders.
People are gathering at the Vatican ahead of the funeral of Pope Francis in St Peter's Square. Photograph:)
Conor Pope -
36 minutes ago
It is going to be a long morning and afternoon for those who arrived early with the funeral starting at 9am Irish time and proceedings likely to continue until well past midday. At least it is a gloriously sunny day in Rome and temperatures at the Vatican are unlikely to climb higher than the mid-20s.
Conor Pope -
41 minutes ago
Today promises to be a solemn day and one in which hundreds of millions of Roman Catholics all over the world will mourn the passing of their spiritual leader. Long queues formed outside St Peter's Square through the night with the first of those in line for a place at the funeral ceremony of Pope Francis taking their positions shortly after 6am local time (5am Irish time).
As dawn breaks in Rome, pilgrims - who had been lining up for hours - make their way to St Peter's Square for the Solemn Requiem Mass for Pope Francis.
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews)
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Irish Independent
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