Pope Francis will be buried Saturday after he died on the Monday after Easter. He was 88 years old.Upon his death, the Catholic Church enters the "Sede Vacante," or "vacant seat," which is the period of time after the pontiff dies and a new one has yet to be chosen.During this time, a series of traditions outlined in a guide called the "Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis" 鈥� which translates to Rite of Burial for Roman Pontiffs 鈥� come into effect, including guidelines for certification of death, lying in state, burial procedures and the selection of a new pope.Here鈥檚 what to expect when viewing the funeral this weekend.What already happened?Francis died in his residence at Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City. He was first carried to the chapel in the building 鈥� one of several traditions Francis changed in a new edition of the funeral rites in 2024.Other traditions that occur at this point are the closing of the papacy, according to Timothy O鈥橫alley, the Director of Education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life and Academic Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy. This includes the sealing of the residence as well as the destruction of the pope's Fisherman's Ring and the seal."Obviously, this is less of a concern in our own age, but these are traditions that are designed in much more complicated eras," O'Malley said. "If you were in the United States and it was 1910, 1900, you might not know the pope died for like a week."Francis was the only pope to have resided in Casa Santa Marta 鈥� a guesthouse which has been used to host cardinals while they vote on a new pope.On Wednesday morning, Francis was transported through the Piazza Santa Marta and the Piazza dei Protomartiri Romani. From there, the procession entered St. Peter's Square, then the basilica, where he lay in state for three days.During this time, Francis was in a wooden coffin 鈥� another change he made from a previous tradition where the pontiff lay in state on an elevated platform.The changes are a part of an increasing movement over the past 60 years away from a lot of papal traditions, according to O'Malley. This is because there used to be a lot of markers of the pope as a ruler or a king, like the wearing of a crown."I think most of the popes had already gone much simpler than they had before," O'Malley said. "Pope Francis is adding a few touches of simplicity, a simple sort of coffin, a simple sort of marker of burial, his movement to Santa Maria Maggiore, but I think functionally, there wasn't a lot of changes."The biggest change, O'Malley said, was having to figure out burial rites for Pope Benedict XVI, who died at the end of 2022 after retiring in 2013.The funeral and burialFrancis' coffin was sealed Friday at 8 p.m. local time, or 2 p.m. Eastern, led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo.At 10 a.m. Saturday local time 鈥� or 4 a.m. Eastern time 鈥� the funeral for Pope Francis will take place in St. Peter's Square. The ceremony also marks day one of a nine-day mourning period called Novendiali.Following the funeral, the coffin will be taken back into St. Peter's Basilica, then transported to the burial site in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major 鈥� a deviation from the past century of burials, which have occurred at St. Peter's Basilica.Not all popes are buried at St. Peter's Basilica, with only about one-third of the 265 popes known to be buried there. But the last time a pope wasn't buried there was Pope Leo XIII in 1903.The procession will move at a walking pace, passing the Galleria Pasa, crossing the bridge, then making its way past landmarks like the Colosseum before turning to head to the basilica.For burial, the pontiff previously was buried in three nested coffins 鈥� cypress, lead and oak 鈥� but Francis changed these rules to only include the cypress coffin.Following the burial, the process of selecting a new pope, the conclave, is expected to begin 15 to 20 days after the pope's death, from May 6 to May 11.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
Pope Francis will be buried Saturday after he died on the Monday after Easter. He was 88 years old.
Upon his death, the Catholic Church enters the "Sede Vacante," or "vacant seat," which is the period of time after the pontiff dies and a new one has yet to be chosen.
During this time, a series of traditions outlined in a guide called the "Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis" 鈥� which translates to Rite of Burial for Roman Pontiffs 鈥� come into effect, including guidelines for certification of death, lying in state, burial procedures and the selection of a new pope.
Here鈥檚 what to expect when viewing the funeral this weekend.
What already happened?
Francis died in his residence at Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City. He was first carried to the chapel in the building 鈥� one of several traditions Francis changed in a .
Other traditions that occur at this point are the closing of the papacy, according to Timothy O鈥橫alley, the Director of Education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life and Academic Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy. This includes the sealing of the residence as well as the destruction of the pope's Fisherman's Ring and the seal.
"Obviously, this is less of a concern in our own age, but these are traditions that are designed in much more complicated eras," O'Malley said. "If you were in the United States and it was 1910, 1900, you might not know the pope died for like a week."
Francis was the only pope to have resided in Casa Santa Marta 鈥� a guesthouse which has been used to host cardinals while they vote on a new pope.
On Wednesday morning, Francis through the Piazza Santa Marta and the Piazza dei Protomartiri Romani. From there, the procession entered St. Peter's Square, then the basilica, where he lay in state for three days.
During this time, Francis was in a wooden coffin 鈥� another change he made from a previous tradition where the pontiff lay in state on an elevated platform.
The changes are a part of an increasing movement over the past 60 years away from a lot of papal traditions, according to O'Malley. This is because there used to be a lot of markers of the pope as a ruler or a king, like the wearing of a crown.
"I think most of the popes had already gone much simpler than they had before," O'Malley said. "Pope Francis is adding a few touches of simplicity, a simple sort of coffin, a simple sort of marker of burial, his movement to Santa Maria Maggiore, but I think functionally, there wasn't a lot of changes."
The biggest change, O'Malley said, was having to figure out burial rites for Pope Benedict XVI, who died at the end of 2022 after retiring in 2013.
The funeral and burial
Francis' coffin was sealed , or 2 p.m. Eastern, led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo.
At 10 a.m. Saturday local time 鈥� or 4 a.m. Eastern time 鈥� the funeral for Pope Francis will take place in St. Peter's Square. The ceremony also marks day one of a nine-day mourning period called
Following the funeral, the coffin will be taken back into St. Peter's Basilica, to the burial site in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major 鈥� a deviation from the past century of burials, which have occurred at St. Peter's Basilica.
Not all popes are buried at St. Peter's Basilica, with only about one-third of the 265 popes known to be buried there. But the last time a pope wasn't buried there was in 1903.
The procession will move at a , passing the Galleria Pasa, crossing the bridge, then making its way past landmarks like the Colosseum before turning to head to the basilica.
For burial, the pontiff previously was buried in three nested coffins 鈥� cypress, lead and oak 鈥� but Francis changed these rules to only include the cypress coffin.
Following the burial, the process of selecting a new pope, the conclave, is expected to begin 15 to 20 days after the pope's death, from May 6 to May 11.
