Pope Francis’ funeral will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. Italian local time in St. Peter’s Square, celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. U.S. President Donald Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump has plan to attend, and Argentine President Javier Milei is also expected.
The Pope’s body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful Catholics are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff.
Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus will join the funeral directly from Doha where he is on an official visit.
According to current norms, the conclave to choose Francis’ successor must begin between May 5 and 10, AP reports from Vatican City.
Pope Francis was thankful that he was able to greet throngs of people in St. Peter’s Square on Easter,a day before he died, though he initially had some doubts given his poor health, Vatican News reported Tuesday.
The Argentine pontiff, who had been recovering after being hospitalized for five weeks with pneumonia, died Monday at age of 88. He made his last Public appearance Sunday, delivering a blessing and looping around Vatican City’s famous square in his popemobile.
Francis initially had doubts about the ride, Vatican News reported. “Do you think I can manage it?’’ the pope asked Massimiliano Strappetti, his personal health care assistant, according to the news agency.
The pope was reassured, and he stopped to reach out to people, especially children, as he was driven through the crowd of 50,000 — the first time since his release from the hospital that he had mixed with the faithful at large. Afterward, Francis told Strappetti, “Thank you for bringing me back to the square,” Vatican News said.
The pope showed the first signs of illness round 5:30 a.m. the next day and fell into a coma an hour later, Vatican News reported.