In a somber ceremony held within St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday evening, Pope Francis’s coffin was officially sealed, signifying the completion of the final rites before his funeral Mass on Saturday morning.
This private ceremony, attended by Vatican officials and some of the Pope’s relatives, followed three days of public viewing, during which approximately 250,000 individuals paid their respects to the late Pope.
According to Vatican News, Pope Francis’s body lay in state before the Confessio altar in a wooden coffin, draped in a red chasuble, adorned with a white mitre, and with a rosary held in his hands.
Notably, the coffin rested at ground level, without a catafalque—a specific request made by the late Pontiff.
The ceremony, presided over by Cardinal-Camerlengo Kevin Farrell, commenced with the reading of a document detailing Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s life and significant actions as Pope.
The document affirmed that the memory of the 266th Pope “remains in the heart of the Church and of all humanity.”
Key moments from his life highlighted in the reading included his time in Germany in the late 1980s and his extensive work in Argentina, where he was described as “a simple and popular pastor in his archdiocese, who travelled far and wide, even by metro and bus.
He lived in a flat and prepared his own food because he felt like a normal person.”
Archbishop Diego Ravelli then gently placed a white silk veil over the Pope’s face, followed by a blessing with holy water.
A bag containing coins and medals minted during his papacy was then placed inside the coffin alongside the Pope.
The zinc coffin lid was then closed, along with Pope Francis’s cross, coat of arms, and a plaque bearing his name and the dates of his life and Petrine ministry, while psalms were sung.
After the zinc coffin was sealed, the seals of the Cardinal-Camerlengo, the Prefecture of the Papal Household, the Office for Liturgical Celebrations, and the Vatican Chapter were affixed. The wooden coffin, marked with a cross and the deceased Pope’s coat of arms, was then also sealed.
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