The Rite of Sealing of the Coffin of the late Pope Francis will take place on Friday, April 26, at St. Peter’s Basilica, marking the saddest moment in the lead-up to his funeral. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, will preside over the solemn liturgical ceremony, which will be attended by several Cardinals and Holy See officials.
The Rite of Sealing will bring an end to the public viewing of the Pope’s mortal remains, which has been held at St. Peter’s Basilica since Wednesday morning. Tens of thousands of people have paid their respects, with over 50,000 individuals filing past the Altar of the Confession in just 24 hours. The Basilica, which remained open through the night, will briefly close for an hour and a half on Friday before reopening in the early morning.
In addition to Cardinal Farrell, those assisting in the ceremony will include key figures such as Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re, Pietro Parolin, Roger Mahony, Domenique Mamberti, Mauro Gambetti, Baldassare Reina, and Konrad Krajewski, as well as other dignitaries like Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra and Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari. The ceremony will also be attended by Monsignor Leonardo Sapienza, the Canons of the Vatican Chapter, the Ordinary Minor Penitentiaries of the Vatican, and the late Pope’s secretaries.
On Saturday, April 27, the funeral Mass for Pope Francis will take place at 10:00 AM in St. Peter’s Square. This Mass will initiate the Novemdiales, a revered nine-day period of mourning and prayers for the repose of the Pope’s soul.
The Novemdiales Masses will be celebrated daily at 5:00 PM (GMT +2) in St. Peter’s Basilica, with the exception of Divine Mercy Sunday, April 28, when Mass will be held at 10:30 AM in St. Peter’s Square.
The sealing of Pope Francis’ coffin marks the transition from public mourning to the start of official ceremonies honoring the life and legacy of the late pontiff.
Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta.
