Vatican releases images of Pope Francis in open coffin
The Catholic Herald• April 22, 2025
Images of the coffin containing the body of Pope Francis at Casa Santa Marta have been released by the Vatican.
The pictures and video, taken on Easter Monday, and released this morning, show the body of the 88-year-old pontiff, hours after his death, during the rite of the Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, who will oversee the Holy See until a new pope is elected, can be seen blessing the body of Pope Francis.
The Vatican revealed on Monday evening that Pope Francis died after suffering a stroke followed by heart failure.
Later on Wednesday, the coffin will be moved to St. Peter’s Basilica to lie in state until his funeral on Saturday morning so that the faithful may pay their respects, reports Vatican News.
The Holy See Press Office announced on Tuesday that Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, 26 April 26, at 10 a.m., local time in Rome, in St. Peter’s Square.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside at the Mass, which will be concelebrated by patriarchs, cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests from across the globe.
The Eucharistic celebration will conclude with the Ultima commendatio and the Valedictio, marking the beginning of the Novemdiales, or nine days of mourning and Masses for the repose of Pope Francis’s soul.
The body of the late pope will then be taken into St. Peter’s Basilica and then to the Basilica of St. Mary Major for entombment.
Cardinal Farrell will preside over the rite of translation on April 23, which will begin at 9 a.m., local time, with a moment of prayer.
The procession will pass through Santa Marta Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs.
The procession will then exit through the Arch of the Bells into St. Peter’s Square and enter the Vatican Basilica through the central door.
At the Altar of the Confession, the Cardinal Camerlengo will preside over the Liturgy of the Word, at the conclusion of which visits to the body of the Roman Catholic pontiff will commence.
Photo: Cardinal Kevin Farrell presides over the rite of certification of death of Pope Francis in the chapel of Casa Santa Marta, Vatican, 22 April 2025. (Vatican Pool/Getty Images.)