The world prepares to say its last farewell to Pope Francesco. Saturday April 26th, 10: 00, the Saint Peter Basilica will host his funeral, an event that will also mark the beginning of the Novendiali, a week of prayer in his memory. The ceremony will be presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals.
Before the funeral, the body of Pope Francis will be transferred from Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae to St. Peter's Basilica, where the faithful will have the opportunity to pay homage to the Pope. The transfer will take place Wednesday 23 April at 9.00pm, with a solemn procession that will cross St. Peter's Square. After the Mass, the body will be carried in procession towards the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore for the burial, symbolically marking the end of an era for the Church.
Meanwhile, the body of Pope Francis, dressed in his traditional red robe and with the rosary in his hands, was exhibited in the Chapel of Casa Santa Marta, where the faithful continue to pay homage to the Pontiff. The President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella has already participated in the commemoration, praying together with his closest collaborators. To ensure safety during the influx of millions of pilgrims, the checks throughout the area of St. Peter. In addition, the Italian government has ordered that flags on public buildings be flown at half-mast, a sign of national mourning until the day of the funeral.
National Mourning for Pope Francis: Football Suspended
Following the news of the death of Pope Francis, it was proclaimed a five-day national mourning. In this period of commemoration, all the public ceremonies they will have to observe the sobriety imposed by the circumstance, and the football games planned for Saturday April 26 were suspended. The 25th April, which this year celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Liberation from Nazi-fascism, will still see the usual ceremonies, but with a sober tone, as underlined by the Minister for Civil Protection in Musumeci. “We have adopted the measure that allows the Head of the Civil Protection Department”, Fabio Ciciliano, “to deal with mobility, assistance and reception in these days until the election of the new pontiff. As for public order measures, they remain the responsibility of the Prefect of Rome who will in any case liaise with the Head of the Department who will also operate under an exemption regime”. Minister Musumeci explained this at the end of the Council of Ministers, explaining that “a measure has already been adopted for the first 5 million euros”, and that Ciciliano’s role “corresponds to that of a commissioner”.
Who will be at Pope Francis' funeral? Trump and von der Leyen
Among the first to announce their participation, the Italian representatives could not be missing: the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella and the President of the Council Giorgia Meloni. Next to them, an unexpected and symbolic presence comes from Donald Trump, who communicated via the social network Truth his intention to participate together with his wife Melania.
The President of the European Commission will also be present at the funeral in Rome, Ursula von der Leyen. At this point, many have wondered whether the simultaneous presence of the US president and the EU president could in some way lead to a confrontation firsthand Related to tariff negotiations. The answer was not long in coming: "President Ursula von der Leyen's trip to Rome is for the Pope's funeral, therefore for reasons different" from those linked to the negotiations with the USA: this was said by the spokesperson of the EU Commission during a briefing today with the press, explaining, with regard to the possibility that there are bilateral on the sidelines of the funeral, that “there are no updates at the moment. I cannot rule out that there may be bilateral meetings but for now we have none to announce”.
Even the Argentine president Javier milei will be in Rome to pay homage to his compatriot, Pope Francis, by proclaiming seven days of national mourning in Argentina.
The Brazilian president will also arrive Squid, the Ukrainian president Zelensky, the French president Macron, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the German leaders Frank-Walter Steinmeier e Olaf Scholz. The participation of the President of the European Commission confirmed Ursula von der Leyen, of the President of the European Parliament Robert Metsol and the President of the European Council Antonio Cantabrian. Also Filippo e Matilde, King and Queen of the Belgians, and the Royals of Spain Felipe VI e Letizia they will be in Rome to attend Bergoglio's funeral.
Absent the Russian president Vladimir Putin, but there will be a Russian delegation. There is no official information yet confirmed on the presence of a delegation Chinese, although the official statement from the Chinese government: “Condolences for the death of Pope Francis” arrived only 24 hours after the news of his death. Among other representations, that of Taiwan, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and the Polish president Andrzej Duda with his wife.
Conclave: Cardinals Gather to Elect New Pope
In the meantime, the cardinals are already busy with the first general congregationsThese meetings, which will be attended by cardinals from all over the world, will serve to prepare the ground for the election of the new Pope. Today, during the first congregation, the cardinals took an oath of secrecy, as required by the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, which regulates papal elections. It was also decided that three cardinals will assist the Chamberlain Kevin Farrell in government operations during the vacancy of the Apostolic See: Pietro Parolin, Stanislaw Rylko e Fabio Baggio.
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