Cardinals set Pope Francis' funeral for Saturday morning, with public viewing starting Wednesday

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis volition beryllium laid to remainder Saturday aft lying successful authorities for 3 days successful St. Peter's Basilica, wherever the faithful are expected to flock to wage their respects to history's archetypal Latin American pontiff.

The cardinals met Tuesday successful the Vatican's synod hallway to illustration the adjacent steps earlier a conclave begins to take Francis' successor, arsenic condolences poured successful from astir the world. According to existent norms, the conclave indispensable statesman betwixt May 5 and 10.

Watch "Francis: The People's Pope 1936-2025," Tuesday astatine 10 p.m. ET / 9 p.m. CT connected ABC.

The cardinals acceptable the ceremonial for Saturday astatine 10 a.m. successful St. Peter's Square, to beryllium celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. U.S. President Donald Trump said helium and archetypal woman Melania Trump program to attend, and Argentine President Javier Milei is besides expected.

The Argentine pope died Monday astatine property 88 aft a changeable enactment him successful a coma and led his bosom to fail. He had been recovering successful his flat aft being hospitalized for 5 weeks with pneumonia. He made his past nationalist quality Sunday, delivering an Easter blessing and greeting followers from his popemobile, looping astir St. Peter's Square.

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His Easter quality from the aforesaid loggia wherever helium was introduced to the satellite arsenic the archetypal pope from the Americas connected March 13, 2013, was a fitting bookend to a 12-year papacy that sought to shingle up the religion and instrumentality it to its Gospel-mandated ngo of caring for the poorest.

Vatican officials retrieve Francis

"He genuinely gave everything helium had, up to the end," said Sister Nathalie Becquart, 1 of the highest-ranking women astatine the Vatican.

While the mean faithful volition person an accidental to wage their respects opening Wednesday, Vatican officials were allowed to accidental their goodbyes starting Monday evening. Speaking to reporters aft she paid her respects, Becquart marveled astatine Francis' last Easter salute to his flock. "He truly walked with his people," she said.

World leaders praised Francis for his motivation enactment and compassion, portion mean faithful remembered his simplicity and humanity.

Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi said it was specifically Francis' effort to beforehand the relation of women successful the religion that volition beryllium 1 of his top legacies. Ravasi noted that Francis chose to beryllium buried adjacent his favourite icon of the Madonna, successful a basilica crossed town, and not successful the grottoes underneath St. Peter's, arsenic is emblematic for popes.

"He wanted to beryllium buried nether the shadiness of a woman, successful this lawsuit Maria," said Ravasi, the Vatican's erstwhile civilization curate arsenic helium arrived for Tuesday's archetypal gathering of cardinals. "That is significant, his tendency for the religion to bash much for women."

The archetypal images of Francis' assemblage were released Tuesday, showing him successful reddish vestments and his bishop's miter successful a woody casket, with the Vatican caput of authorities praying implicit him successful the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta edifice wherever helium lived and died.

In his last will, Francis said helium wanted to beryllium buried astatine St. Mary Major Basilica, which is location to the Salus Populi Romani icon of Mary. Before and aft each overseas trip, Francis would spell to the basilica to commune earlier the Byzantine-style coating that features an representation of Mary, draped successful a bluish robe, holding the babe Jesus, who successful crook holds a jeweled aureate book.

Francis stopped by the basilica connected his mode location from the Gemelli infirmary connected March 23, aft his 38-day stay, to present flowers to beryllium placed earlier the icon. He returned April 12 to commune earlier it 1 past time.

The satellite reacts

Bells tolled successful chapels, churches and cathedrals astir the satellite and flags flew astatine half-staff successful Italy, India, Taiwan and the U.S. aft Francis' decease was announced by the camerlengo, who takes complaint of the Vatican aft a pope's death. Soccer matches successful Italy and Argentina were suspended successful grant of the pope who was a lifelong instrumentality of the San Lorenzo shot club.

World leaders praised Francis for his motivation enactment and compassion, portion mean faithful remembered his simplicity and humanity.

"Like each Argentine, I deliberation helium was a rebel," said 23-year-old Catalina Favaro, who had travel to wage her respects successful the Buenos Aires religion wherever Francis discovered his priestly vocation. "He whitethorn person been contradictory, but that was nice, too."

RELATED: Remembering Pope Francis' sojourn to the United States

In East Timor, wherever Francis' last outdoor Mass drew astir fractional of the colonisation past September, President Jose Ramos-Horta praised Francis' courage. "Pope Francis was a brave antheral who was not acrophobic to talk retired against the rulers of the satellite who question war, but bash not privation to question peace," Ramos-Horta said.

"He challenged the almighty to enactment with justice, called nations to invited the stranger, and reminded america that our communal location - this Earth - is simply a acquisition we indispensable support for aboriginal generations," said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is Muslim. Nigeria is Africa's astir populous state and has astir 30 cardinal Catholics, representing astir 14% of the population.

Viewing the pope's coffin

The pope's ceremonial apartments successful the Apostolic Palace and successful the Santa Marta edifice were sealed Monday evening, pursuing a centuries-old ritual. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who arsenic camerlengo had the task of announcing the decease and confirming it erstwhile the origin was determined, presided implicit the rituals.

Francis chose not to unrecorded successful the palace, but successful a two-room suite successful Santa Marta connected the different broadside of Vatican City. He died determination and his assemblage was transferred to the edifice chapel successful the lobby, wherever the backstage viewing was underway Tuesday for Vatican officials and members of the pontifical household.

Photos: Pope Francis done the years

In changes made by Francis past year, his assemblage was not placed successful 3 woody coffins, arsenic it had been for erstwhile popes. Rather, Francis was placed successful a simplified woody coffin with a zinc coffin inside.

Once successful St. Peter's, his casket volition not beryllium enactment connected an elevated bier - arsenic was the lawsuit with past popes - but volition conscionable beryllium be placed simply facing the pews, with the Paschal candle nearby.

"He was a pope who didn't alteration his way erstwhile it came to getting (his hands) dirty," Francis' vicar for Rome, Cardinal Baldassarre Reina, said successful a Mass successful his honor. "For him, mediocre radical and migrants were the sacrament of Jesus."

Choosing the adjacent pope

After the funeral, determination are 9 days of authoritative mourning, known arsenic the "novendiali." During this period, cardinals get successful Rome and conscionable privately earlier the conclave.

To springiness everyone clip to assemble, the conclave indispensable statesman 15 to 20 days aft the "sede vacante" - the "vacant See" - is declared, though it tin commencement sooner if the cardinals agree.

Once the conclave begins, cardinals ballot successful concealed sessions successful the Sistine Chapel. After voting sessions, the ballots are burned successful a peculiar stove. Black fume indicates that nary pope has been elected, portion achromatic fume indicates that the cardinals person chosen the adjacent caput of the Catholic Church.

The 1 who has secured two-thirds of the votes wins. If helium accepts, his predetermination is announced by a cardinal from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica who tells the world: "Habemus Papam" - Latin for "We person a pope."