Rome has woken up in mourning for the death of Pope Francis yesterday morning due to a stroke. The news has gathered dozens of journalists from around the world in St. Peter's Square since early morning, ready to report on Francis' funeral and the subsequent conclave to elect the next head of the Church, which will begin on May 5th and 10th.
This Tuesday, a first meeting of the cardinals will take place in Rome to decide the day of the funeral, which must be held between Friday and Sunday according to the latest provisions adopted by Francis for the death of a Pontiff. The ceremony will take place at St. Peter's Basilica, but the burial will be held at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome in line with his last wishes.
Francis made some changes for his funeral in line with the simplicity of his Pontificate (his body will not be displayed on a catafalque in St. Peter's, but on an open wooden coffin. And there will be one wake, not two, without a closing ceremony for the coffin). Despite this, the farewell to the spiritual leader of over 1.4 billion Catholics will bring together numerous foreign dignitaries, including Donald Trump, one of the first to confirm his attendance, as well as the Brazilian Lula da Silva.
This Tuesday, a Council of Ministers will also be held to establish the organization of the already chaotic Rome, which will receive the visit of thousands of faithful in these days. The logistics will be managed by the head of Civil Protection, Fabio Ciciliano.