What Pope Francis' funeral will look like: And that's why it will differ from the others

AUTHOR: M.J. GDNUS

Pope Francis' funeral will differ from previous papal funeral ceremonies, which have traditionally been lavish and strictly formal.

The ceremony will begin with the so-called "death confirmation ceremony", which will be led by Cardinal Camerlengo Kevin Farrell, the highest official of the Vatican in the period after the death of the pope until the election of a new one. After that, the pope's body will be placed in a casket.

During his lifetime, Pope Francis approved plans to simplify his own funeral. He rejected the custom of displaying the body on a raised platform and chose a simple wooden box. Instead of the classic farewell to the body, the faithful will be able to pay their respects while his body is in a coffin with an open lid.

Funeral could take place sooner than expected

Vatican sources say Pope Francis' funeral is expected to take place within the next nine days, but Sky News reports it could be earlier than usual.

Pope Francis will be buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, the first time in more than a century that a pope has been buried outside the Vatican. He revealed this in an interview in 2023, and the basilica is one of his favorite and most visited churches.

Traditionally, popes are buried in the crypts beneath St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, where nearly a hundred of his predecessors are buried, but Pope Francis has decided otherwise.