Pope's body to lie in state until funeral on Saturday

Pope Francis
The body of Pope Francis lies in an open casket. (Photo: Vatican Media)

The body of Francis will lie in state inside St Peter’s Basilica from Wednesday until his funeral on Saturday morning.

The Pope's funeral Mass will be held at 10:00am in St Peter’s Square. Until then, members of the public will be able to pay their respects at St Peter's. 

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the Mass, which will be joined by world leaders including US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is "likely" to attend, according to media reports.

Following his funeral and in line with his wishes, Francis will be laid to rest in St Mary Major, one of the four major papal basilicas in Rome and a place where he often prayed.

Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday after a period of ill-health that saw him hospitalised for several weeks in February. Nonetheless his death still came as a shock to many, coming less than 24 hours after his final public appearance in St Peter's Square on Easter Sunday. 

Despite being considerably weakened, he rode through the square in his popemobile in a remarkable final act of service, interacting with the crowds and saying a few words from the balcony of St Peter's. 

The Vatican said that among his final words were a "thank you" to his personal healthcare assistant, Massimiliano Strappetti, for encouraging him to take one last ride in the popemobile. 

"Thank you for bringing me back to the square," he was reported as saying.

The Pope's cause of death was confirmed as a stroke and heart failure.

The College of Cardinals has now entered into a period of prayer, reflection and preparation following his death. 

The ceremonial transfer of the Pope’s body from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta to St Peter's Basilica will take place on Wednesday. 

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