Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at 7:35 a.m. in his Vatican residence, Domus Sanctae Marthae, died from a stroke followed by heart failure, the Vatican has confirmed.
The Pope’s funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re will preside over the ceremony.
Following the Mass, the Pope’s body will be taken to the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome for burial, honouring his request for a simpler funeral. He requested a plain cypress coffin, foregoing the traditional triple-coffin burial.
His body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica from Wednesday until the funeral, allowing the faithful to pay their respects.
A nine-day mourning period, known as the Novendiale, has commenced, during which Masses will be held for the repose of his soul daily.
Contenders and the Papal Selection Process
Already, the church is looking ahead at a possible replacement for the pontiff.
With Pope Francis’s passing, attention now turns to who will lead the Catholic Church next with its 1.3 billion members.
Cardinals from around the world will gather in Vatican City for a secret election known as a conclave, held in the Sistine Chapel. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote.
Several names are already being mentioned as potential successors, including Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Italy, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines.
Some have also tipped Cardinal Francis Arinze from Nigeria. He is considered the most experienced, ordained as far back as 1958 and has been a cardinal since 1985. However, at 92, some consider him, perhaps, too old to take on the tedious assignment of the papacy.
There are at least ten cardinals who’s names have been suggested.
Each of the potential contenders brings a unique vision, with backgrounds in diplomacy, theology, and social justice.
The conclave will continue until one cardinal receives a two-thirds majority vote. White smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney will signal that a new pope has been chosen.
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