Vatican City: Lakhs of people have gathered at the St Peter’s Square in Vatican City today for Pope Francis’s funeral. The funeral is being attended by top international dignitaries, including heads of governments, heads of states, monarchs, and more. Pope Francis will be buried in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome basilica where it will be welcomed by a group of the “poor and needy.” The funeral Mass for Pope Francis is underway in a packed St. Peter’s Square.
Pope Francis, who died on Monday at the age of 88, last year approved guidelines to make his funeral a less grand affair than those of his predecessors.
According to AFP here is the official programme of the ceremonies
5:30 a.m. (0330 GMT)- St Peter’s Square opens.
9:30 a.m. (0730 GMT)- US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania arrive in St Peter’s Square.
10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT)- The funeral mass begins. It will be presided over by Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals.
It will feature, in chronological order:
-- Reading of liturgical texts
-- A homily by Cardinal Re
-- A universal prayer in several languages
-- The consecration of the bread and wine
-- Participants exchanging a sign of peace or handshake
-- The Eucharist
-- A moment of silence
-- The sprinkling of holy water on the coffin
At the end of the mass, the coffin will be brought inside St Peter’s Basilica by about 13:00 p.m. (1100 GMT)
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