Pope Francis’ funeral will take place on Saturday at 1:30 PM IST. The ceremony will be held at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, located outside Vatican City. World leaders, including several heads of state, are expected to attend the service.
Public viewing of the Pope’s body is set to begin tomorrow morning at 9 AM local time, according to reports. Pope Francis, the head of the global Catholic Church, passed away yesterday at 7:35 AM local time in his Vatican residence. He was 88 years old. The Pope led the global Church for 11 years.
Born on December 7, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his birth name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He joined the seminary in 1958 and was ordained as a priest on December 13, 1969. He was elevated to Cardinal on February 1, 2001, and was elected as the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church on March 13, 2013.
Pope Francis passed away without fulfilling his long-held wish to visit India. He had expressed interest in visiting the country next year, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally invited him.
As the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis initiated several timely reforms within the Vatican administration and the Church. He championed global peace and reconciliation, raised a strong voice against clerical sexual abuse, and though he upheld traditional views regarding the priesthood and women, he distinguished himself from his predecessors with his compassionate and inclusive outlook. He embraced marginalized communities, notably declaring that members of the LGBTQ+ community are also children of God, earning him widespread admiration as a Pope of love and humanity.
