Funeral Preparations and Global Reaction
Following the tradition of the Church, the Vatican began the formal process of mourning and commemoration. Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, informed journalists that the late Pope’s body would lie in state at St. Peter’s Basilica starting Wednesday, April 23, allowing the faithful to pay their respects.
Bruni stated: “The translation of the Holy Father’s mortal remains to the Vatican Basilica, for the veneration of all the faithful, may take place on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, 2025, according to the arrangements that shall be determined and communicated tomorrow, following the first Congregation of the Cardinals.”
Pope Francis’s papal apartments in both the Apostolic Palace and the Casa Santa Marta were sealed, marking the formal end of his papacy and initiating the sede vacante period. The first General Congregation of Cardinals was scheduled for Tuesday, April 22, to begin the preparatory work for the papal conclave and to set a date for the funeral.
Reactions poured in from across the globe. Catholic leaders, heads of state, activists, and ordinary citizens expressed sorrow for the loss of a spiritual leader who had redefined the papacy in many respects.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called Pope Francis “a moral compass for our age,” and highlighted his work for peace, the environment, and human dignity. U.S. President [name], in a statement from the White House, declared a day of national mourning and said that “Pope Francis taught us that mercy is not weakness, and that faith must walk hand in hand with justice.”