Pope Francis, the head of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, will be laid to rest at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome today. The funeral Mass will begin at 1:30 PM Indian Standard Time in Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
The service will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals. Tens of thousands of mourners, including heads of state and representatives from across the world are expected to attend the funeral mass of late pontiff.
These include, President Droupadi Murmu, who will offer condolences on behalf of the government and people of India. US. President Donald Trump, France President Emmanuel Macron, Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Argentine President Javier Milei are among the other world leaders who will be attending the funeral.
President Murmu reached Rome in Italy yesterday and paid homage to the Pope Francis by laying a wreath at Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City. She is accompanied by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Minority Affairs George Kurian and Deputy Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Joshua De Souza.
The funeral ceremony will conclude with the transfer of the coffin to Saint Mary Major in Rome, where the burial will take place. This will be the first papal burial outside the Vatican in more than a century as the only pope to be buried outside the Vatican in 1903 was Pope Leo XIII.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope to lead the Roman Catholic Church, and sovereign of the Vatican City State passed away on 21st of April at the age of 88. The Argentine pontiff died from a stroke less than a month after returning home from five weeks in hospital battling double pneumonia.
India is observing state mourning today, as a mark of respect on the funeral of Supreme Pontiff of the Holy See. In a statement, Home Ministry said that the National Flag will be flown at Half Mast throughout India on all buildings where the National Flag is flown regularly.
The Government had announced a three-day state mourning on the passing away of Pope Francis. Two days’ state mourning was observed on 22nd and 23rd of this month.
