The Vatican began its first official remembrance of Pope Francis on Monday evening, gathering in St. Peter’s Square, where the late pontiff had just offered his final blessing the day before.
Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, led the Rosary as crowds assembled for the first public act of mourning. Standing before an icon of the Virgin Mary, Cardinal Gambetti bowed his head in silence while a choir filled the square with hymns.
The Rosary marked the beginning of a series of liturgical events that will unfold in the coming days as the Vatican prepares for the pope’s funeral rites and the eventual gathering of cardinals in conclave to select his successor.
Sister Raffaella Petrini, governor of Vatican City State, read the first Scripture passage during the event, a prominent role underscoring one of the many features of Francis’ papacy: His repeated call for women to take on more visible and influential leadership within the Church.
The late pontiff’s specific funeral plans have not yet been announced, though papal funerals are usually held within a week of a pope’s death, drawing mourners to St. Peter’s Square for a final farewell.
But even in death, Pope Francis is breaking with tradition.
Rather than joining his predecessors in the crypt beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis asked to be buried in the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of his favorite churches in Rome where he often prayed before and after papal journeys.
He also reportedly declined the centuries-old custom of three nested coffins — cypress, lead, and oak — choosing instead a plain wooden casket.
