Pope Francis’ body will be moved to St Peter’s Basilica today to allow Catholic faithful to pay their final respects ahead of a funeral expected to bring US President Donald Trump and dozens of other world leaders to Rome.
Francis, a groundbreaking reformer, died aged 88 on Monday from a stroke and cardiac arrest, ending an often turbulent 12-year reign in which he repeatedly clashed with traditionalists and championed the poor and marginalised.
His body, lying in an open casket, was set to be taken from the chapel of the Vatican residence where he lived to St Peter’s, entering through the central door, in a grand procession starting at 9am (0700 GMT), with Cardinals and Latin chants.
After a religious service, the faithful and the general public will be allowed to visit the late pontiff until 7pm on Friday, with a funeral scheduled for the next morning.
The service will be outdoors in St Peter’s Square and due to be led by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, 91-year-old Giovanni Battista Re.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend.
Trump, who clashed repeatedly with the Pope on immigration, will be accompanied by first lady Melania.
Leaders from Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Ukraine, EU institutions and Francis’ home nation of Argentina also confirmed their presence.
Conclave not for another two weeks
Francis has asked to be buried in St Mary Major, a Roman basilica he was particularly attached to, rather than St Peter’s like many of his predecessors, with a simple inscription of his name in Latin, Franciscus.
Yesterday, the Vatican released images of the Pope dressed in his vestments, holding a rosary, with Swiss Guards standing beside his casket.
Dignitaries, including Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Italian Jewish leaders, came to visit.
His death, which came as a relative surprise as he had appeared in public on the previous day but still looked frail after double pneumonia and a five-week hospital stay that had ended on March 23, has set in motion ancient rituals.
About 60 Cardinals gathered yesterday to decide funeral plans, with more meetings planned in the coming days on other urgent business. The conclave, which will choose the new pope, is not expected to start before May 6.
There is no clear frontrunner to succeed Francis, although British bookmakers have singled out Luis Antonio Tagle, a former Cardinal from the Philippines, and Pietro Parolin, a compromise choice from Italy, as early favourites.
In the meantime, in the period known as the “sede vacante”(vacant seat) for the global Catholic Church, a Cardinal known as the camerlengo (chamberlain), Irish-American Kevin Farrell, is in charge of ordinary affairs.