bitchy | Pope Francis’s funeral is set for April 26, and the papal conclave will be held in May

Yesterday, I read too much papal gossip about the departed Pope Francis. Some suggested that Francis was chosen to be a “bridge” pope and no one expected his papacy to last more than a few years. There was gossip that Francis, the first Jesuit pope, would just be filler in between hardliners/ultra-conservative popes. The cardinals probably didn’t think that Francis would have a twelve-year papacy or that he would remake the image of a modern pope. It’s interesting to note that Francis appointed a majority of the college of cardinals who will vote for the new pope in the conclave. Because of last year’s Oscar-nominated film Conclave, a new generation of pope-watchers are now obsessed with conclaves too. Well, the Vatican has made some announcements for Francis’s funeral and the upcoming conclave. Here’s the info about Francis’s funeral, which will be pretty unique:

The date that Pope Francis will be laid to rest has been revealed. According to Vatican News, the Holy See Press Office announced on Tuesday, April 22 — the day after the pontiff’s death at 88 — that the pope’s funeral will take place on Saturday, April 26, at 10:00 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

The service will be led by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals. It will conclude with the Ultima commendatio and the Valedictio. According to BBC News, the Ultima commendatio will be delivered by Re and is the final commendation — a concluding prayer where the pope will be formally entrusted to God.

After the funeral, Pope Francis’ body will be taken into St. Peter’s Basilica before being transferred to the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome for the burial. In 2023, Francis told a Mexican broadcaster that he wanted to be interred in St. Mary Major instead of the Vatican, per the Associated Press. The pontiff also said that he had already decided he wanted to be buried near an icon of the Virgin Mary that is on display at the basilica.

“It’s my great devotion,” Francis said at the time, according to the outlet. “The place is already prepared.”

Francis will be the first pope in more than a century not to be buried in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, per BBC News. In his final testament, Francis specified that he wanted to be buried “in the ground, without particular decoration” and with the inscription of his papal name in Latin — “Franciscus” — according to Reuters. In another break from tradition, his burial will also not require the traditional three coffins consisting of cypress, lead and oak.

The pope’s body is currently lying in an open casket in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta, his residence at the Vatican. Last year, Francis approved new funeral rites stating his body should be on view in a simple coffin rather than being placed on an elevated bier, per the Associated Press. In a news release, the Holy See Press Office announced that Pope Francis will be taken from Casa Santa Marta to St Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, April 23, at 09:00 a.m. local time. Cardinal Kevin Farrell will preside over the “rite of translation,” which will begin with a moment of prayer, according to Vatican News. The pope’s body will lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica until the burial, for the public to pay their respects.

Francis was really about that Jesuit life. He really never wanted the trappings of power or the finery of the papacy. He would have been happy enough to minister to his flock in a simple, plain cotton vestment with a pizza nearby. That being said, I imagine there will be a huge turnout for his funeral on Saturday. I would imagine every European royal house will send someone (likely the king or queen) and many EU leaders will also attend. It’s been 20 years since a sitting pope passed away – a lot of people forget how big it was when John Paul passed in 2005.

As for the conclave, it’s always scheduled for 15 to 20 days after the pope’s funeral. In this case, the conclave will start anywhere between May 6 to the 12th. If you’ve seen the movie, the cardinals stay in seclusion until someone gets a majority vote and there are already some interesting “candidates.” I hope Ralph Fiennes is prepared!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.