Vatican City – The solemn transfer of Pope Francis’ body to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City marks the beginning of a period of public mourning following the pontiff’s passing. As the Swiss Guards accompany the pallbearers with the wooden coffin through St. Peter’s Square, thousands of faithful have gathered to pay their respects. The late pontiff, who passed away at the age of 88 on Easter Monday, will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica until his funeral Mass on Saturday.
The transfer of Pope Francis’ coffin began this morning, following a prayer ceremony in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta. Doors of St. Peter’s Basilica opened to the public, allowing over 20,000 mourners to pass by and offer their final farewells. The pontiff’s coffin rests before the altar on a modest wooden platform, where pilgrims stop to pray in a solemn procession that will continue until his burial at St. Mary Major Basilica.
Pilgrims followed the emotional procession from Casa Santa Marta to the Vatican Basilica, where the Vatican “sediari,” the bearers who historically carried the portable papal throne, carried the coffin on their shoulders. Tears were shed as onlookers moved respectfully in silence, witnessing the final journey of the “pope of the peripheries.” The camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church will preside over the closing rite of the pontiff’s coffin on Friday evening.
The funeral Mass on Saturday will be led by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The Vatican is in a period of mourning as the world remembers the life and legacy of Pope Francis, a pope known for his humility and service to the marginalized. In the midst of grief, the faithful gather to honor and celebrate the pontiff’s life, offering prayers and support to one another during this time of loss.