Joanne M. Pierce is an emeritus professor of religious studies in the Holy Cross College.
The 88 -year -old pontiff had been aware of its fragile state and the elderly. Already since 2015, Pope Francis had expressed the desire be buried in The Basilica of Santa Maria MaggioreA church from the fifth century in Rome dedicated to the Holy Virgin. He was so dedicated to Maria and his basilica that after each of his more than 100 trips abroad, he would visit him after returning to Rome to pray and meditate.
No pope has been buried to Santa Maria Maggiore since the 17th century, when Pope Clement IX set to rest there.
I am a Specialist in Catholic Liturgical History. In the previous centuries, papal funerals have been elaborate matters, ceremonies that adapt to a Renaissance prince or other gift figure. But in recent years the Rites have been simplified. As Pope Francis has forced, here are the steps that the ritual will follow.
First Station: Body Preparation
Funeral rites take place in three parts, called stations. The first takes place in the Pope’s private chapel after medical professionals have certified his death. Until recently, this stage had taken place on the Pope’s Night.
After the body is at rest in the chapel, the cardinal Serving as a pope’s dressing room – The Pope’s Cabinet head – will make the arrangements for the funeral. Also commissioned to run the Vatican to The new pope is elected. The current Camerlengo is Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrelldesignated by Francis in 2019.
As has been done for centuries, the Camerlengo will formally call the deceased pope with the full name he gave him when he was baptized as a child: Jorge Mario Bergoglio. There are narratives or legends that claim that at this time the pope also touched on the front with a small silver hammer. However, there is no documented proof that this is really done in previous centuries to verify the death of a pope.
Another ancient rite will also take place after the Pope’s death declaration: the pope’s ring defeat. Each pope carries a tailor made ring with an engraved image of a man fishing for a boat, listening to the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus shouts in St. Peter a « Men’s fisherman« The ring of this fisherman, with the name of the PUE Current recorded in the picturecould act as a stamp on official documents. The dressing room will break Francis’s ring and break the label with a hammer or other instrument to prevent anyone else from using it.
Pope’s apartments will also be blocked, with No one was allowed to enter; This was traditionally done to prevent sacking.
Second station: Body display
The deceased pope will be dressed in its simple white and red drawers, and then placed in a Simple wooden coffin. This will be brought in procession to the Basilica of Sant Pere, where public visualization will be made for the next three days.
The pope’s body will be left on the plain and open chest during this visualization period to emphasize the humble role of the pope as a shepherd, Is not a head of state. The previous practice would have been to place the body on top of a high high platform, called catafalque; This ended with the funeral of Pope Benedict XVI in 2022.
Pope Benedict was also the last pope to be buried in the traditional Three casketings of cypress, lead and elm. Two coffins contained specific documents on their pontificate; The first coffin also kept the Three traditional bags of coins – gold, silver and copper – representative Every year of his pontificate.
At the Francis funeral, after the public visualization, a normal white cloth will be placed on the pope’s face while in the oak coffin, a continuous part of the papal funerals. But this will be the first time that only a A unique casket will be used; Will probably contain a document describing your pontificate and a bag of coins from his pontificate Also.
The funeral mass will be held in Sant Pere, most likely inside the winter time, and there will probably be a multitude of believers outside, gathered in the square. Homilia will reflect on the life and spirituality of the deceased; Francesc He himself preached At the funeral of his retired predecessor, Pope Benedict. And the future Pope Benedict, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger preached At the funeral of Pope San Juan Paul II When Ratzinger was the leader, or the dean, of all the senior officials of the Church, what is known as the College of Cardinals.
The current dean is 91 Cardinal Giovanni Battista ReAnd it is not clear if this tradition can continue because of its advanced age. Mass will continue to be said in Francis’ memory for nine days after his death a period called novelis. This ritual was inspired by an ancient Roman tradition that prescribes a period of mourning ending the ninth day After a death.
Third Station: Burial
The popes of the past have been buried in various different places. Until the legalization of Christianity in the Roman Empire at the beginning of the fourth century, the popes would be Interconnected to the catacombs, the burials on the outskirts of Rome.
The popes could then be buried in various different locations, such as the Basilica of San Juan Lateran, the official cathedral of Rome, or other churches in Rome and the surrounding area. A few were Even buried in France During the fourteenth century, when the papacy moved to the French border for political reasons.
Most popes are buried in the grotes below St. Peter, and from Pope Leo XIII’s Burial to St. John Lateran in 1903, each pope has been buried in Sant Pere. According to Francis’ wishes, however, there will probably be a procession in Rome in Santa Maria Maggiore, including -herself and cars that other people will attend this private ritual.
After a few final prayers and the holy water spray, the coffin will be placed at its final location inside the church. Only later the area will open to the public for prayers and worship.
After so many journeys from Rome to visit Catholic communities from all over the world and so many visits to this basilica for prayer and meditation, it seems appropriate that, at the end of the journey of his life, Francis would make a last trip to the church he loved so much to rest forever.
This article is published from The conversation Under a Creative Commons license.
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