Tens of thousands of people will begin visiting St. Peter's Basilica starting this Wednesday to bid farewell to Francis. The Pontiff's coffin, who passed away at the age of 88 on Monday, was transferred this morning from the chapel of the Santa Marta residence, just a few meters from St. Peter's, following the provisions of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis that Francis himself modified. "After the prayer moment, presided over by His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, the transfer began," informed the Holy See.
The Vatican has released details of the prayer Farrell recited before the body's transfer. "Dear brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow, we now accompany the mortal remains of our Pope Francis to the Vatican Basilica," he will say at the beginning of the service.
"As we now leave his home, let us thank the Lord for the countless gifts He has granted to the Christian people through His servant, Pope Francis." "Let us ask Him, in His mercy and kindness, to grant the deceased Pope an eternal home in the kingdom of heaven, and to comfort the papal family, the Church in Rome, and the faithful worldwide with heavenly hope."
Tourists and pilgrims waiting to attend the coffin's transfer began entering St. Peter's Square at 7:30 in the morning to witness the procession of the coffin to the basilica. Under the Roman sun, the open coffin entered the Basilica at 9:30 amidst applause from those gathered in the square, carried on the shoulders in a solemn procession by the pontifical 'sediaries' (the cardinals present in Rome and those closest to Francis) and escorted by the Swiss Guard.
The procession passed through St. Martha's Square and the Square of the Roman Protomartyrs; from the Bells Arch to St. Peter's Square and entered the Vatican Basilica through the central door. At the Altar of the Confession, the Camerlengo Cardinal presided over the Liturgy of the Word, after which the wake began. The procession lasted about 40 minutes, and inside the basilica, the coffin was placed on the Altar of the Confession.
The basilica will remain open to the nearly 200,000 people expected to visit the Pope's body at the following times: Wednesday, April 23, from 11 am to midnight; Thursday, April 24, from 7 am to midnight; Friday, April 25, from 7 am to 7 pm.
Francis' body, guarded by the Swiss Guard, will be displayed to the public as he himself established: in a simple wooden coffin, dressed in a red cassock, his bishop's mitre, and with a rosary intertwined in his hands, a symbol of his faith and commitment to the Church until the end. Unlike his predecessors, his body will not be placed on a catafalque for the wake at the explicit request of this spiritual leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
The wake will take place under tight security measures, as the Vatican City and its surroundings are surrounded by police and military personnel who patrol the perimeter delimited by a 'red zone' and control access points. Security is overseen by Fabio Ciciliano, the current head of the Department of Civil Protection, who previously managed the funeral of John Paul II in 2005.
The funeral, scheduled for Saturday at 10:00 a.m., will be attended by numerous heads of state. Afterwards, the body will be transferred to the Roman temple of Santa Maria Maggiore, where it will rest in a simple crypt under the name "Franciscus."