His final resting place is in Vatican City. A funeral took place for him this past Saturday at Saint Peter’s Basilica. CNN, PBS and NBC broadcast the live event. Following the funeral, a nine-day period of mourning has commenced.
In Vatican City, Pope Francis’ funeral mass was presided over by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the Dean of the College of Cardinals — the collective that will elect the next pope. Representatives from approximately 130 countries attended the ceremony, including 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump and William, Prince of Wales, were some notable figures in attendance.
Kielce Gussie, an American journalist for Vatican News, read Acts 10:34-43 from the Acts of the Apostles — guiding the day’s first reading. Following Gussie, a homily was presented by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. Then Communion was distributed to the congregation before the procession, with the coffin being returned to St. Peter’s Basilica.
Catholic Television San Antonio announced “Novena in memory of Pope Francis,” a nine-day mourning period from April 21 to April 29. At 7 p.m. Saturday at San Fernando’s Cathedral, a mass was held for the seventh day of mourning.
During the mass, Rev. Gustavo Garcia-Siller said, “We give thanks to what he did for the church and for the world,” in regard to Pope Francis.
Pope Francis was the first Latin American pontiff in the church’s history and an advocate for marginalized individuals worldwide. Since his passing, the Vatican that a conclave will elect the next pope May 7; 135 cardinals will vote for a papal successor in the Sistine Chapel.
