Shillong, April 23: The Catholic church will organise a Requiem Mass at the Cathedral Church, Laitumkhrah on the day of the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis, which will be on Saturday.
Addressing media persons, Bedarius Shylla of the church’s media commission said, “In the Archdiocese of Shillong, there will be a Requiem Mass on April 23, 24 and 25, 2025 at the Cathedral Church, Laitumkhrah at 5:30 PM and at all the parishes of the Archdiocese at a time arranged by the different parishes.”
“On the day of the funeral of His Holiness, Pope Francis, that is on the 26th April, 2025, there will be a Requiem Mass at the Cathedral Church, Laitumkhrah at 10:00 AM and at all the parishes of the Archdiocese at 10:00 AM. The faithful can participate through online media in the Funeral Mass of His Holiness, Pope Francis which will begin at 1:30 PM Indian time,” he informed.
According to the announcement made by His Eminence, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, on 21st April, 2025 at 9:47 AM Vatican time, His Holiness Pope Francis passed away at 7:35 AM Vatican time which corresponds to 11:05 AM Indian time, at his residence at Domus Sanctae Marthae, Vatican City on Easter Monday. The cause of death has been declared as stroke, coma and irreversible cardiovascular collapse.
The ceremony of certification of the death of Pope Francis was conducted by His Eminence, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.
He said that on Wednesday, at 9:00 AM Vatican time corresponding to 12:30 PM Indian time, after the moment of prayer, presided over by His Reverend Eminence Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, the coffin with the deceased Roman Pontiff Francis will be carried from the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae to the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, in accordance with the provisions of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis (nos. 41-65).
At the Altar of the Confessio, the Cardinal Camerlengo will preside over the Liturgy of the Word, at the end of which the visits to the body of the Roman Pontiff will begin.
On Saturday, at 10:00 AM, first day of the Novendiali (the traditional nine-day period of mourning and prayer held following the death of a Pope), on the parvis of Saint Peter’s Basilica, the funeral Mass of the Roman Pontiff Francis will be held, in accordance with the provisions of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis (nos. 82-109).
The funeral liturgy will be presided over by His Reverend Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals.
As per his will published on April 21, Pope Francis will be laid to rest at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. He will be the first Pope in over a century to be buried outside the St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican.
