(Image source from: AP)
Pope Francis is scheduled to be laid to rest on Saturday following three days of lying in state at St. Peter's Basilica, where many adherents are anticipated to gather to honor the legacy of the first Latin American pope in history. On Tuesday, cardinals convened in the Vatican's synod hall to discuss the upcoming process as a conclave prepares to select Francis’s successor, amid an outpouring of condolences from across the globe. Under existing regulations, the conclave is required to commence between May 5 and 10. The cardinals have arranged the funeral for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square, to be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals.
US President Donald Trump, along with First Lady Melania Trump, have confirmed their attendance, and Argentine President Javier Milei is similarly expected. The Argentine pontiff passed away on Monday at the age of 88, after a stroke placed him in a coma and caused his cardiac episode. He had been recuperating in his residence after a hospitalization of five weeks due to pneumonia. His last public event took place on Sunday, when he offered an Easter blessing and greeted worshippers from his popemobile as it circled St. Peter’s Square. This Easter appearance occurred from the very loggia where he was first presented to the world as the first pope from the Americas on March 13, 2013, providing a poignant finale to a papacy that aimed to reform the church and realign it with its Gospel-driven mission to assist the underprivileged.
Vatican representatives recall Francis with fondness. "He dedicated his whole being to his role, right until the very end," stated Sister Nathalie Becquart, one of the most prominent women within the Vatican. While ordinary parishioners will be permitted to express their condolences starting Wednesday, Vatican staff were given the chance to say their farewells beginning Monday evening.
After paying her respects, Becquart expressed her admiration for Francis’s final Easter gesture towards his congregation, noting, "He truly walked alongside his people." Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi remarked that one of Francis's most significant legacies will be his commitment to advancing the role of women in the church. Ravasi pointed out that Francis chose to rest near his beloved Madonna icon, located in a different basilica rather than in the customary burial site of the grottoes beneath St. Peter's. "He wished to be laid to rest in the shadow of a woman, specifically Maria," Ravasi stated, reflecting on the implications this holds for his aspirations regarding the church's engagement with women's issues, as he arrived for the initial meeting of cardinals on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the initial photographs of Francis' remains were unveiled, depicting him dressed in red robes and wearing his bishop's mitre inside a wooden coffin. In these images, the Vatican's secretary of state is seen offering prayers beside him in the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta hotel, where he both lived and passed away. In his last testament, Francis expressed a desire to be interred at St. Mary Major Basilica, which houses the Salus Populi Romani icon of the Virgin Mary. Prior to and following each overseas trip, Francis would visit the basilica to commemorate the Byzantine-style artwork, which portrays Mary in a blue garment cradling the infant Jesus, who holds a golden book adorned with jewels. After spending 38 days at the Gemelli hospital, Francis made a stop at the basilica on March 23 on his return home, bringing flowers to place in front of the icon. He made another visit on April 12 to pray before it for the final time.
