The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis’ coffin will be sealed on Friday evening in a solemn liturgical ceremony ahead of his funeral scheduled for Saturday, April 26.
The Rite of Sealing of the Coffin will begin at 8:00 p.m. inside St Peter’s Basilica, bringing to a close the public viewing that has drawn thousands of mourners from across the globe.
The ceremony will be presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church and will be attended by an assembly of senior Church leaders and Vatican officials, including Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re, Pietro Parolin, Roger Mahony and others. The rite will also be broadcast live across Vatican News platforms.
“The sealing of the coffin marks a deeply spiritual and historic moment for the Church,” said Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations. “It is our final act of reverence and farewell before entrusting our beloved Pontiff to eternal rest.”
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88, following a stroke and irreversible heart failure. His passing was officially confirmed by Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, Director of Health and Hygiene at Vatican City State.
According to the medical report, the late Pontiff had a history of chronic health conditions, including bilateral pneumonia, multiple bronchiectases, high blood pressure and Type II diabetes. “His death was confirmed through electrocardiographic thanatography,” Dr. Arcangeli stated, affirming the findings with clinical certainty.
Public viewing of the Pope’s body began early Wednesday morning, with lines of faithful stretching across Vatican Square. The Basilica remained open until 5:30 a.m. Thursday, briefly closing before reopening to accommodate the continuing influx of mourners.
On Saturday, Pope Francis will be laid to rest following an open-air funeral mass in front of St Peter’s Basilica at 10:00 a.m. local time. World leaders, religious figures and millions of Catholics are expected to tune in or attend.
The Vatican has not yet confirmed where Pope Francis will be interred, but many speculate it will be in the crypt beneath the Basilica, alongside his predecessors.
As the Church prepares to bid farewell to one of its most reformative and compassionate leaders, the atmosphere in Rome is one of solemn reflection and global mourning.
