Vatican shares details of ‘discreet death’ as Pope lies in state
Source: Vatican News
The Vatican has released the first photos of Pope Francis lying in state and says people will be able to pay their final respects in St Peter’s Basilica for three days this week.
The pontiff, who died aged 88 on Monday, will lie in state inside his coffin from Wednesday through Friday (local time).
A funeral will take place on Saturday at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome, the Vatican also announced, as the Church prepares to lay him to rest and start the process of deciding on a new pontiff.
Before he died, Francis expressed his desire to be buried at the basilica, one of his favourite places, and not in the grander St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican as is customary for deceased popes.
The Vatican revealed further details of his final moments, saying the Pope died quickly and did not suffer.
At around 5.30am on Easter Monday, the first signs of the sudden illness appeared, prompting an immediate response from those keeping watch over him, writes the Vatican News.
Around an hour later, after making a gesture of farewell with his hand to his nurse while lying in bed in his apartment at the Casa Santa Marta, the Pope fell into a coma.
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“According to those who were with him in his final moments, he did not suffer. It all happened quickly,” writes the Vatican News.
“His was a discreet death, almost sudden, without long suffering or public alarm, for a Pope who was always very reserved about his health.”
His passing came a day after his final public appearance on Easter Sunday at St Peter’s Square, an experience for which he expressed gratitude.
“Thank you for bringing me back to the Square,” he had said to his nurse Massimiliano Strappetti the day before his passing.
Dignitaries pay respects to Pope Francis at the chapel of the Santa Marta residence inside the Vatican. Photo: AAP.
Global leaders including US President Donald Trump – making the first foreign trip of his second term – confirmed that they would attend the funeral.
Francis’ body is currently lying in an open coffin in the chapel of the Santa Marta guesthouse, his former residence, where cardinals, officials and employees of the Vatican are able to bid farewell to him.
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The first pictures of Francis since his death were released by the Vatican on Tuesday, showing the open coffin placed in front of an altar where Francis often celebrated Mass.
The late pope is wearing a red robe and a white mitre.
A rosary is wrapped around his hands, which are folded one over the other.
Members of the Swiss Guard – a corps of Swiss soldiers responsible for the safety of the pontiff – stand guard to the right and left of the coffin.
Members of the Swiss guard watch over the wooden coffin. Photo: AAP
A large church service in the Vatican will precede the burial at Saint Mary Major.
As spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the first pontiff from Latin America, the first Jesuit, and the first to be named after St Francis of Assisi, a medieval monk who lived in poverty.
Leaders from around the world paid tribute to Francis following his death, praising him for his humility and compassion.
In the coming weeks, the Church will hold a closed meeting of cardinals, called a conclave, at the Vatican in order to decide on who will be Francis’ successor.
The Italian government on Tuesday declared a five-day period of mourning.
Flags in front of public buildings are flying at half-mast.
Strict security measures are in place in the Italian capital ahead of the funeral services and burial on Saturday.
Polish President Andrzej Duda meanwhile declared that Saturday, the day of the funeral, would be a day of mourning for Poles.
Meanwhile, East Timor has begun seven days of mourning, with flags at half-mast to demonstrate what its government said was a deep sense of gratitude to a “great leader of the Catholic Church”.
