Last hours to say goodbye to Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica. Thousands of faithful have lined up all night to access the lying in state, which was only closed for a couple of hours between 4 and 6 in the morning. The basilica is expected to close at 7:00 p.m. to proceed with the coffin closure.
Cardinal Camerlengo, Kevin Farrell, will preside over the closing of the Pope's coffin at 8 p.m. During the ceremony, a white silk veil is placed over Francis' face, holy water is sprinkled on the body, and the bag with the coins minted during the pontificate is placed.
Italian authorities estimate that around 200,000 people will attend the funeral for the pontiff on Saturday, before the coffin is moved in a funeral procession to the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where Francis will be buried.
Rome is preparing a significant security deployment to host 170 international delegations, including "50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs." Among them, special attention will be given to Donald Trump, for whom a 'green zone' has been designated in the Villa Borghese neighborhood. In this area, traffic will be restricted, public demonstrations and the transport of goods classified as dangerous will be prohibited.
Isabel Celaá, Ambassador to the Vatican: "The Church is intelligent; it will choose a Pope who follows in the footsteps of Francis"
The former Minister of Education and first spokesperson for the Government of Pedro Sánchez has been serving as Spain's ambassador to the Holy See for three years, a highly sought-after position, and speaks highly of the recently deceased Pope, whom she had the fortune to know and interact with closely. It has been 20 years since the funeral and burial of an acting Pope has been held in Rome, and the embassy is preparing all the details for the State delegation that will represent Spain at Francis' funeral.
Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson said in 2010 that he was not prepared to become Pope and that perhaps the Catholic Church was not ready either. But more than 15 years later, this influential African prelate is emerging as one of the favorites.
"I wouldn't like to be the first black pope. I think I would have a hard time," he stated at the time, as reported by AFP. However, following Francis' death, on the eve of the conclave to elect his successor, the name of this African cardinal is on everyone's lips.
Turkson is not the only potential African candidate in the conclave to choose Francis' successor, nor would he be the first pontiff from that continent. Pope Victor, who led the Church between 189 and 199, was from North Africa.
But as the percentage of African faithful increases compared to an aging and increasingly secular Europe, the debate resurfaces on whether the Church is ready for its first black pope.
Another cardinal on the list, Fridolin Ambongo from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, led the campaign against the blessing of same-sex couples in Africa after Francis urged the Church to make progress on this issue.
Japanese Foreign Minister to attend Pope Francis' funeral
The Japanese government announced on Friday that it will send its Foreign Minister, Takeshi Iwaya, to Pope Francis' funeral in the Vatican, which will take place this Saturday and mark the beginning of an international tour that will also take him to the US and France, among other countries.
Iwaya has been chosen to represent the Asian country at the solemn funeral of the pope, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, after Japanese citizens gathered this week at places of worship in the nation to bid him their final farewell.
Japan, with a population of around 124 million people, has approximately 430,000 Catholic Christians, representing about 0.3% of its inhabitants, according to data from the Japanese Episcopal Conference.
The Camerlengo will seal Francis' coffin at 8 p.m.
Cardinal Camerlengo, Kevin Farrell, will preside over the coffin closure ceremony of the pope on Friday at 8 p.m., as established by ecclesiastical regulations and following the instructions of the master of pontifical liturgical celebrations. This ritual must be performed before the funeral Mass, convened by the College of Cardinals for Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Vatican.
The Holy See press office explained that other cardinals, canonical representatives of the Vatican Basilica, and relatives of the deceased Pope will participate in the event. This ceremony includes the reading of the 'rogitum' signed by some of those present.
During this ceremony, prayers are also said for the Pope, and the master of ceremonies places a white silk veil over the deceased's face. The celebrant then sprinkles holy water on the body.
Before closing the coffin, which has been simplified according to the modification of the regulation made by the Argentine Pope himself, the master places in it the bag with the coins minted during the pontificate and the tube with the 'rogitum', after having affixed the seal of the Office of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations.
Additionally, the zinc lid is placed, bearing the cross, the shield of the deceased pope, and a plaque with his name, lifespan, and Petrine ministry. Subsequently, it is sealed with the seals of the Camerlengo, the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, the Office of Liturgical Celebrations, and the Vatican Chapter. Finally, the wooden coffin, which also bears the cross and the Pontiff's shield, is closed. Meanwhile, some psalms and the Salve Regina are sung, as reported by Servimedia.
At Francis' request, he will not be buried in three coffins (cypress, lead, and oak), like his predecessors, as he opted for a single wooden coffin with a zinc interior. In his spiritual testament, the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church also requested to simplify his burial and for it to take place outside the Vatican, in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in response to his great devotion to the patroness of Rome.
Rome, a fortified city: anti-drone bazookas, the Scouts, and a 'green zone' only for Trump
The anti-drone bazooka is the star of the security operation that is currently protecting the Vatican City following the death of Pope Francis. This electromagnetic warfare weapon carried by Air Defense Artillery personnel to detect and neutralize drones, both in the air and on the ground, is attracting the attention of the faithful, tourists, and journalists gathered in St. Peter's Square these days.
Italian authorities face a logistical and security challenge: the death of a Pope and all that it entails. In addition to the tens of thousands of people gathered in the world's smallest country these days, Francis' funeral will bring together about 170 international delegations on Saturday, including 50 heads of state or government and 10 monarchs.
Over 128,000 people have already visited the lying in state
Over 128,000 people have passed through Pope Francis' lying in state at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican from Wednesday until 8:00 a.m. on Friday to bid their final farewell to the deceased pontiff, as reported by the Holy See.
The flow of faithful has remained constant, after the initial plans to close it at midnight were changed so that everyone who wished could come to say goodbye, and it was only closed for a few hours to clean the basilica.
Long lines during the night at St. Peter's Square
The long lines of faithful to bid farewell to Pope Francis at St. Peter's continued throughout the night, and the basilica remained open until 4:00 a.m., reopening at 5:45 a.m. to allow access again due to the large influx. It is planned that at 7:00 p.m. this Friday, the doors of St. Peter's will be closed to proceed with the closing ceremony of the coffin, before the funeral and burial scheduled for Saturday. Italian authorities estimate that around 200,000 faithful will attend the pontiff's funeral on Saturday, after which the coffin will be moved in a funeral procession to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where Francis expressed his wish to be buried.