What we know about the funeral of Pope Francis Religion news

The Vatican City – Pope Francis A funeral will take place in the Vatican on Saturday at 10 am local time (8:00 GMT), where hundreds of thousands of guests and mourners are expected to attend Pontev final celebrations.

US President Donald Trump and United Nations Secretary -General Antonio Guterres will be among dozens of prominent figures traveling to the Vatican to attend the ceremony, which will be a simpler relationship than previous papal funerals.

Last year, Argentine Pope He modified the funeral rituals to show that he was a “student of Christ” instead of “a strong man in this world.”

Who will be there?

In addition to being a major religious event, the papal funerals also after an important diplomat.

The Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, but he leads the Apostolic Chair-a sovereign legal entity with a seat at the United Nations-the Vatican Woody. There are about 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, focused above all in Europe and the Americas increasingly in Africa.

For this reason, papal funerals tend to attract large numbers of political figures. When Pope John Paul II died in 2005, his funeral attracted about 70 presidents and prime ministers – making it one of the largest gathering of world leaders in history.

Among those who have already confirmed their attendance at Francis’s funeral on Saturday, US President Trump, United Nations President, and Ukraine President Voludmir Zelinsky.

Russian President Vladimir Putin does not have any plans to attend, according to Karmlin, but there will be a delegation from China.

Besides these political figures, there will be large numbers of Catholics and other well -wishers.

The Italian government said on Tuesday that it expects at least 200,000 foreigners to travel to Rome for the funeral. Although the Vatican is a sovereign country, it is located in the heart of the Italian capital, and will help Italy to manage some elements of logistics.

However, there is a reason to believe that the turnout will eventually be higher than the Italian government’s estimate – the last Pope’s funeral, John Paul II, attracted about four million attendees.

However, the number of mourners on Saturday may not reach this extent. While both the Popes enjoyed high levels of popularity, John Paul served for 26 years, compared to Francis 12. Moreover, Poland was the original John Paul-where he had a large number of fans-close enough to Italy to facilitate travel on a large scale.

What will happen in the funeral?

In 2024, Pope Francis simplified the burial rituals of the Roman Pope, which puts models for papal funerals.

According to the new rituals, Francis will be buried in one sarcophagus, instead of the three used by previous popes.

A different language will also be used – during the funeral, the Pope will be called “Bishop of Rome”, “Pope”, “Reverend” or “Roman Puntax”, with greater titles such as “the Upper Pope of the International Church”.

Mercili Mediros, historian of the Catholic Church and the Vatican correspondent in the Brazilian Globeus, told Al -Jazeera that “the simplification of Francis for funerary rituals not only reflects his modesty, which was well known, but also his revolution in the Papanese Foundation.”

“He has always said that he did not feel comfortable with the idea that the Vatican was the last absolute property in Europe,” Mediros said. “For this reason, from the beginning, he presented himself” Bishop of Rome “, who for him was the most dignified title – he was bishop, priest and Christian like anything else.”

Bishop Diego Ravili, the head of bishops, the master of the papal liturgical celebrations, said that the goal of highlighting that the funeral of the Pope is “the sponsor and disciple of Christ, and not a strong man in this world.”

Archbishop Rafaeli added that it was Francis himself who stressed the need to “adapt certain rituals, so that the funeral of the Bishop of Rome can better express the Church’s belief in the existing Christ.”

Cardinal Giovanni Batista, 91, is currently chairing the Dean of the College of Cardinals, the Mass of the Pope’s funeral.

The attendees will lead the prayers and readings of the Bible, will provide final praise and pledge, and entrust the spirit of the Pope to God.

The funeral will be held in a variety of different languages, which reflects the international nature of the Catholic Church and the various backgrounds of those present.

It is possible that – as most of the masses of this type in the Vatican – the main prayers will say in Latin and Italian, with the readings of the Bible in Italian, Spanish and English, and a number of shortcomings in other languages ​​such as Arabic, Polish and Chinese.

What happens after the funeral?

After the funeral of Pope Francis, his coffin will be transferred to the Church of St. Mary Megur, a church outside the Vatican walls, which was especially fond of the visit.

Francis will be the first Baba to be buried there since the seventeenth century, and the first in more than 100 years is buried outside the Vatican.

In the last era, which was released on Monday, the Pope asked to be his grave “on the ground; basicWithout a certain decoration, “and specify that the only word must be his papal name in Latin:” Franciskos “.

A regular grave in a church that did not keep the remains of the Pope in centuries – it is a final place for the man that many will remember because of his modesty and independence.

The Vatican correspondent of the National Catholic correspondent said, “

White added, “It is appropriate that he had stripped the funeral rituals, to ensure that in death he can provide a final lesson in the symbolism of a church, as he hopes, on its way towards humility,” White added.