Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday morning at the age of 88, is expected to be laid to rest on Saturday, April 26, in Rome, Italy, in a burial that will be presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, an Irish-born American Catholic archbishop.
While his funeral is expected to take place at St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff's body will be buried in a special tomb within the Vatican, per his wishes before demise.
The pontiff's coffin is expected to be sealed in a special ritual today (Friday), marking the end of the three days of public viewing of his body at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Pope Francis will be buried in two coffins, deviating from the traditional practice where popes were buried in three coffins made of cypress, lead, and oak.
Traditionally, the first coffin is made of cypress, which symbolises humility and simplicity, while the second coffin is made of zinc, which is airtight to protect the Pope's body, and the third coffin is made of oak to symbolise the strength and dignity of the papacy.
However, in 2024, Pope Francis approved changes to the funeral rites in the "Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis," or "Rite of Burial for Roman Pontiffs," simplifying several elements.
While departing from the tradition of being buried in three different coffins, Pope Francis requested to be interred in a more modest burial, using a wooden coffin with a zinc interior.
During the burial ceremony, Cardinal Kevin Farrell will lay a white silk veil over the Pope's face, after which he will sprinkle the deceased body with holy water.
The white veil is placed over the pope's face as a symbol of both the strength and protection of God, and also of the tomb of Jesus Christ as a belief in resurrection.
Consequently, a pouch with coins and medals minted during Pope Francis' tenure as a pontiff will be placed in the coffin along with a tube containing the rogito. The coins are made of gold, silver and copper.
A coin is produced for each year of the Pope's tenure, which means that 12 coins will be placed in a bag inside Pope Francis' coffin. Meanwhile, the rogito, which is a sealed document summarising the Pope's life and will be read aloud during the funeral and then placed in the coffin.
In the burial, the cardinal will place the cross, the coat of arms of the deceased Pontiff, on the zinc coffin, followed by a plaque bearing the name of Pope Francis' real name, the length of his life, and his Petrine ministry.
The zinc casket will then be sealed and stamped with the seals of the Cardinal Camerlengo, the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, and the Vatican Chapter.
The wooden casket, which is the outer coffin, will then be closed, with the cross and coat of arms of the deceased Pontiff affixed to the lid of the Pontiff's coffin.
Meanwhile, security at the Vatican has since been tighter as the Pope's funeral is expected to be attended by high-profile personalities, including the United States President Donald Trump.
President William Ruto on Thursday, April 24, appointed National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula to represent Kenya at the burial of Pope Francis.
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