Pallbearers carry the coffin of the late Pope Francis inside St Peter's Basilica as it is transported in a procession from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter's Basilica, following the Pope's death, in the Vatican on April 23, 2025. The Pope died of a stroke, the Vatican announced hours after the death on April 21, 2025, of the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church. Tiziana Fabi, AFP

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1745402240561POPE PALLBEARERS.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Pallbearers carry the coffin of the late Pope Francis inside St Peter&#x27;s Basilica as it is transported in a procession from the chapel of Santa Marta to St Peter&#x27;s Basilica, following the Pope&#x27;s death, in the Vatican on April 23, 2025. The Pope died of a stroke, the Vatican announced hours after the death on April 21, 2025, of the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church. Tiziana Fabi, AFP </span></span></span></div><p>Pope Francis, who died this week at age 88 of a stroke at the Vatican, will be buried on Saturday.</p><p>World leaders and worshippers will be present at his funeral before a conclave of cardinals is convened to elect a successor.</p><p>Here&#x27;s what we know about the processes leading up to the election of a new pope.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>LYING IN STATE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Francis&#x27;s body was taken on Wednesday morning to lie in state in St Peter&#x27;s Basilica, where mourners were able from 11:00 am (0900 GMT) to pay their respects to the late pontiff.</p><p>His open coffin -- which he had previously ordered to be made of wood and zinc -- was placed on a simple wooden bier before the basilica&#x27;s altar, instead of the more ornate podiums used for his predecessors.</p><p>It will remain there for three days.</p><p>From Monday evening until its transfer to the basilica, his coffin was lying inside the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta residence where he had lived during his 12-year papacy.</p><p>From there it was carried by pallbearers in a colorful procession that included cardinals, bishops, monks and nuns.</p><div><iframe width="1250" height="703" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Jkf6ymHajo" title="Pope Francis&#x27; coffin arrives at St. Peter Basilica in procession" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>FUNERAL</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Francis&#x27;s funeral will take place at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) on Saturday in the square in front of St Peter&#x27;s Basilica.</p><p>The coffin will then be taken back inside before being taken to Rome&#x27;s basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for burial.</p><p>World leaders and faithful from across the globe are expected to flock to Rome to attend the ceremony and pay their respects to the leader of the world&#x27;s 1.4 billion Catholics.</p><p>US President Donald Trump, Ukraine&#x27;s Volodymyr Zelensky and Britain&#x27;s Prince William are among those to have said they would attend.</p><p>Authorities expect up to 170 foreign delegations and some 200,000 visitors, which will require a major security operation.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CONCLAVE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The starting date of the conclave, during which 135 so-called &quot;cardinal electors&quot; will choose Francis&#x27;s successor, is not yet known.</p><p>But it should begin no less than 15 and no more than 20 days after the death of the pope -- thus between May 5 and May 10.</p><p>The cardinals will meet in the Sistine Chapel, a Renaissance jewel adorned with Michelangelo&#x27;s celebrated frescoes, and hold four ballots a day -- two in the morning and two in the afternoon -- until one candidate wins two-thirds of the votes.</p><p>At the end of each session, the ballots are burned in a stove by the chapel, releasing smoke above the Apostolic Palace as the world watches.</p><p>If black smoke billows from a chimney overlooking St Peter&#x27;s Square, the vote has been unsuccessful.</p><p>White smoke signals a new pope has been elected.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>CAMERLENGO</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The camerlengo is the senior cardinal who runs the Vatican&#x27;s day-to-day operations between the death of one pope and the election of his successor.</p><p>Irish-born Cardinal Kevin Farrell is the current camerlengo.</p><p>Part of his role is to lead the cardinal meetings, known as &quot;general congregations&quot;, where decisions are made about the pope&#x27;s funeral and the upcoming conclave.</p><p>He is the only top Vatican official to retain his position following the death of a pope.</p><p>The rest of the Vatican&#x27;s Roman Curia are obliged to resign following the pope&#x27;s death.</p><p>A first general congregation of some 60 cardinals took place on Tuesday when the funeral date was chosen. A second meeting was due on Wednesday afternoon.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FATAL STROKE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Francis died of &quot;cerebral stroke, coma, irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse&quot;, according to a death certificate released by the Vatican, which announced his death early on Monday morning.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="1250" height="703" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o22-lFx3GGY" title="&#x27;Important to say goodbye&#x27;: Faithful queue to pay final respects to Pope Francis" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Pope Francis, who died this week at age 88 of a stroke at the Vatican, will be buried on Saturday.</p>

Pope Francis, who died this week at age 88 of a stroke at the Vatican, will be buried on Saturday.

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What we know ahead of Pope Francis's funeral

What we know ahead of Pope Francis's funeral

Agence France-Presse

Published Apr 23, 2025 05:59 PM PHT

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