Prayer:
We give thanks to the Father for the pontificate of Pope Francis and ask God to welcome this blessed servant into his merciful and loving embrace. We ask Jesus to choose a worthy successor to Peter, the Apostle whom he chose to lead his Church. And we ask the Holy Spirit to guide the Church again and still.
Events in Rome
| April 21 | The Pope’s body was vested, laid in a simple wooden coffin, and taken to the chapel at Sancta Marthae Chapel. A Liturgy of the Word was led by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo [Chamberlain] of the Vatican. |
| April 23 | Cardinal Farrell will lead the procession from Sancta Marthae Chapel, to Saint Peter’s Square, to St. Peter’s Basilica. Public viewing will begin at 9:00 AM Vatican Time (that is 3:00 AM Eastern). |
| April 25 | A late night prayer service and closing of the coffin. |
| April 26 | Funeral Mass for Pope Francis 10:00 AM (4:00 AM Eastern). Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside. |
| At the request of Pope Francis, burial will take place in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major). The last pope to be buried there was Pope Clement the IX in the seventeenth century. The simple stone will be at ground level and will bear the word “Franciscus.” | |
| April 27 | A Mass originally scheduled as a Jubilee Mass for Adolescents will become one of eight memorial Masses for the Pope. |
| May 6-12 | To be announced: The Conclave begins 15-21 days after the Pope’s death. |
The Holy See announced the passing of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, on April 21. Please join in prayer for the repose of his soul, and read updates below.
Archbishop Hebda celebrated a special Mass at noon on April 21 at the Cathedral. Watch the recording.
- Novena in Memory of Pope Francis (English, Spanish)
- USCCB: Archbishop Broglio’s Statement on Death of Pope Francis
- Archbishop Hebda’s reflection and call to prayer during Pope Francis’ illness earlier this year: You are Peter