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Pope Francis, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88, will be commemorated during a funeral service this Saturday that intertwines traditional Catholic rites with his own preferences for simplicity. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. local time (4 a.m. Eastern, 1 a.m. Pacific) at the Vatican, and live coverage will be available on CBS News.
A significant number of church officials, dignitaries, and heads of state, including both President Trump and former President Joe Biden, are expected to gather alongside thousands of faithful in St. Peter’s Square to honor the pontiff.
The funeral Mass will be conducted by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, who serves as the dean of the College of Cardinals.
After the service, a procession will carry the pope’s casket to its final resting place, a fifth-century church situated about three miles away that held great personal significance for him. In his last will and testament, Pope Francis expressed his desire to be buried not in the Vatican but at the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome—a site where he sought solace in prayer before and following his international journeys.
In his will, he specified, “The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus.” In a departure from typical papal traditions, his grave will only feature his chosen name, honoring St. Francis of Assisi, without any mention of his papacy.
How to Watch Pope Francis’ Funeral on Television
The televised coverage of Pope Francis’ funeral will commence at 4 a.m. Eastern on CBS stations. To find your local CBS affiliate, you can consult the station locator. CBS News anchors Norah O’Donnell and John Dickerson will provide live reporting from the vicinity of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Streaming Options for Pope Francis’ Funeral
Viewers can also stream the full service live on CBS News via the video player embedded above. For those on the go, the free CBS News app is available for mobile and streaming devices. Additionally, the service will be accessible on Paramount+.
Will There Be a Replay of the Funeral?
Following its conclusion around 7 a.m. Eastern, the entire funeral service will be rebroadcast on CBS News 24/7.
Funeral Start Time for Pope Francis
The funeral is anticipated to commence at 10 a.m. local time on Saturday at the Vatican, which translates to 4 a.m. Eastern, and 1 a.m. Pacific for viewers on the West Coast.
Projected Duration of Pope Francis’ Funeral
The funeral service at St. Peter’s Basilica is expected to last approximately an hour and a half, followed by a procession to the church designated for the burial. The transit period for the casket is estimated to take about 30 minutes, with a brief service occurring prior to the interment.
For context, the funeral service held for his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in 2022, spanned around two hours, while the 2005 funeral of Pope John Paul II extended over two and a half hours.
Schedule for the Funeral Procession
A simple wooden coffin was brought to St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, following Pope Francis’s passing at his residence in Casa Santa Marta. For three days, he lay in state, allowing mourners to pay their respects as they queued for hours.
On Saturday, the funeral Mass will occur outdoors at St. Peter’s Basilica, with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re presiding. According to the Vatican, the ceremony will conclude with the Ultimo commendatio and Valedictio, which are the final prayers and farewell, officially entrusting Pope Francis to God.
After the Mass, Pope Francis’s coffin will be transported from St. Peter’s to the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome for burial. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the camerlengo and a top-ranking official in the Vatican, will oversee the burial service.
Timing for the Papal Conclave
The exact date for the upcoming papal conclave, which gathers cardinals to elect a new pope, has yet to be announced. However, church regulations stipulate that it must begin within 15 to 20 days following the pope’s death, suggesting a possible start in the first or second week of May.
Source
www.cbsnews.com