The Vatican has decreed this Wednesday nine consecutive days of mourning for the death of Pope Francis as of this Saturday, which is the day in which his funeral will take place, during which solemn masses will be held in the San Pedro Basilica until May 4.
The Holy See has indicated that the events will take place after this Saturday the funeral mass of the pontiff at 10:00 a.m. (local time). On Sunday at 10:30 am, the Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, will preside over a concelebration on the staircase of the Basilica, which will be attended by employees and faithful.
On Monday, at 5:00 p.m., the Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome, Baldassare Reina, will lead a Mass in the Church of Rome, while on Tuesday at the same time the Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of San Pedro, Mauro Gambetti, will direct a ceremony in which the chapter of the Papal Basilicas will participate.
-On Wednesday the Vice Dean of the Cardenalicio College, Leonardo Sandri, will preside over a Mass in the papal chapel, and on Thursday the camarlengo, Kevin Joseph Farrell, will direct another next to the curia. On Friday, the prefect of Dicastery for Eastern Churches, Claudio Gugerotti, will lead a new ceremony; And on Saturday, Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime will preside over another together with the members of the institutes of consecrated life and of the Apostolic Life Societies.
The last mass of the mourning period will take place on Sunday, May 4, at 5:00 p.m., and will be directed by Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, in the papal chapel, according to a statement published by the Holy See.
Thus, the funeral mass of the Pope, who died on Monday at age 88, will mark the beginning of the traditional period of nine consecutive mourning days that will be marked by masses in memory of the late Pontiff. After this period, the Cardinal Conclave will be summoned to choose Francisco’s successor, within a period that he cannot exceed 20 days since his death.
