Cardinals at Vatican, plan pope’s funeral

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Cardinals gathered in Vatican Metropolis on Tuesday to plan Pope Franics’ funeral, which can happen Saturday at 10 a.m. native time in St. Peter’s Sq., the Vatican introduced.

Francis died Monday of a stroke and irreversible coronary heart failure, the Vatican mentioned, ending a 12-year reign marked by his legacy of reform and repeated clashes with world leaders over immigration and financial points.

Francis, 88, was the 266th occupant of the papacy, which dates again to the apostle Peter, who is taken into account the primary pope. The demise of a pope units in movement a sequence of historic rituals and rites that transition from the top of 1 papacy to the beginning of the following.

In his will, the late pontiff broke from custom and requested for a “easy” burial in Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Main as a substitute of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Throughout the assembly, cardinals are additionally anticipated to overview the day-to-day working of the church within the interval earlier than a brand new head is elected. They’ll collect in St. Peter’s Basilica for a Mass “invoking the steering of the Holy Spirit in electing a brand new pope,” in accordance with the United States Convention of Catholic Bishops.

A conclave to decide on a brand new pope usually takes place 15 to twenty days after the demise of a pontiff, which means it shouldn’t begin earlier than Could 6. As of Monday, there have been 252 cardinals, of whom 135 are electors, in accordance with the Vatican. Cardinals over the age of 80 are excluded from voting.

Developments:

∎ As tributes pour in, some world leaders have confirmed they are going to attend Francis’ funeral, together with President Donald Trump, Argentine President Javier Milei and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

∎ Francis’ demise delayed the canonization of the world’s first millennial saint. A canonization service for Carlo Acutis, a British-born Italian who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, was initially scheduled for April 27.

The Vatican launched images of Francis, wearing his vestments, in a picket coffin within the chapel of the Santa Marta residence, the place he lived throughout his 12-year papacy. Swiss Guards stand on both facet of the casket. The coffin will probably be carried from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday so mourners pays their respects.

On Saturday, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the Faculty of Cardinals, will preside over the funeral Mass, which will probably be concelebrated by patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops and clergymen from all over the world, the Vatican mentioned.

The pope’s physique will probably be taken into St. Peter’s Basilica after which to the Basilica of St. Mary Main for entombment. In a break from custom, Francis confirmed in his ultimate testomony that he wished to be buried in Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary Main and never St. Peter’s, the place lots of his predecessors had been laid to relaxation.

As Catholics mourn the demise of Francis and mirror on the pontiff’s legacy as a reformer, questions are rising about who may comply with. Catholics who spoke to the USA TODAY Community had been deeply divided.

Some mentioned they needed the following pope to take care of the church’s extra conservative insurance policies on subjects like abortion. Others expressed a need for Francis’ successor to construct on the progress he made, significantly across the inclusion of ladies and LGBTQ+ folks.

“He transcended faith. He actually welcomed everybody to the church,” mentioned Carl Sawejko, 67, who based a telecommunications firm in southern Massachusetts referred to as Sawejko Enterprises. He mentioned he served as an altar boy at a church in Swansea, Massachusetts, as a toddler. Learn extra right here.

Contributing: Christopher Cann, Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY; Margie Cullen, Peter D. Kramer, Caitlyn Kelleher, and Katie Landeck, USA TODAY Community; Reuters

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