- In a deeply moving private ceremony at St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis’ coffin was sealed, closing a historic chapter
- Over 250,000 people from all walks of life paid their final respects during the three-day public viewing before the Vatican closed the doors
- Cardinal Kevin Farrell led the sacred rite, where prayers were chanted in Latin and Pope Francis’ life was honoured with relics and ritual blessings
- The Chapter of St Peter’s began an overnight prayer vigil at the sealed casket, preparing spiritually for the funeral Mass
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Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.
Vatican City – A solemn and emotional chapter in the Catholic Church’s history came to a close on Friday evening, April 25, as Pope Francis’ coffin was officially sealed at St Peter’s Basilica.
The rite, filled with tradition, marked the end of three days of public viewing, where over 250,000 mourners paid their final respects to the pontiff.
The liturgical rite of closing the coffin was led by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo, the cardinal tasked with overseeing the affairs of the papacy before a new pope.
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Farrell, a Dublin-born American citizen and former Bishop of Dallas, presided over the sacred event in the presence of senior clergy, Vatican officials, and members of Pope Francis’ family.
According to the Vatican press office, those present included several high-ranking Church officials such as a Venezuelan archbishop, a Brazilian prelate, and Francis’ personal secretaries.
Also in attendance was Cardinal Roger Mahony, the retired archbishop of Los Angeles, who had been officially assigned a role in the funeral rites.
How was Pope Francis’ coffin sealed
The private ceremony unfolded behind closed doors, away from the crowds that had swelled the streets of Rome for days.
During the rite, Archbishop Diego Giovanni Ravelli, master of papal liturgical ceremonies, gently covered the late pope’s face with a white silk veil.
Cardinal Farrell then sprinkled the body with holy water, invoking blessings as prayers were read out aloud in Latin.
The Pope’s body, dressed in red papal vestments with a white mitre and rosary beads clutched in his hands, lay in a simple wooden coffin before the Confessio Altar, just as Francis had requested, rejecting the traditional raised catafalque.
Among the final steps was the placement of a rogito, a rolled, sealed document summarising Pope Francis’ life and papacy, into a metal cylinder and laid inside the coffin.
Alongside it were coins and medals minted during Pope Francis’s pontificate, and the pallium, the long white woollen vestment symbolising his pastoral authority.
What happens after Pope Francis’ coffin is sealed
The coffin was then sealed in two layers, first in zinc, then enclosed within the outer wooden casket.
A plaque bearing Pope Francis’ name, his age, 88 years, four months, four days, and the length of his pontificate, 12 years, one month, and eight days, was attached to the coffin.
As tradition dictates, seals from the Cardinal-Camerlengo, the Prefecture of the Papal Household, and the Vatican Chapter were stamped onto the coffin, formally concluding the rite.
The emotional final hymn, Regina Caeli, a Marian antiphon sung during the Easter season, brought the ceremony to a close.
The Vatican later confirmed that the Chapter of St. Peter’s would maintain a prayer vigil throughout the night, watching over the Pope’s sealed casket until the morning funeral Mass.
“During the night, the Chapter of St. Peter’s will ensure a presence of prayer and vigil at the body of the Pontiff, until the preparations for Holy Mass tomorrow (Saturday) morning,” read the statement after the rite ended.
How will Pope Francis be buried
Pope Francis’ funeral Mass is scheduled for Saturday morning on the steps of St Peter’s Basilica, marking the beginning of the Novendiales, nine days of official mourning.
In accordance with his wishes, Francis’ final resting place will be in Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the city’s oldest churches.
His tomb, made of simple Ligurian marble, will carry only a Latin inscription of his papal name, “Franciscus,” and a carving of the same cross he wore as Archbishop of Buenos Aires.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
