There are over 1 billion Catholics in the world, and they are in mourning over the loss of their church's leader this week. The death of Pope Francis on Monday ends a particularly progressive papal reign. The Vatican will be livestreaming the papal funeral on its YouTube channel this Saturday.
Pope Francis' funeral will be held at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on April 26 at 10 a.m. local time, after which he will be laid to rest at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. Most popes are buried in St. Peter's Basilica or its grottoes, but AP reports Francis chose the St. Mary Major Basilica to reflect his veneration of an icon of the Virgin Mary that is located there, the Salus Populi Romani (Salvation of the people of Rome).
His funeral will be simpler than those of other popes, as Francis simplified the funeral rites last year, permitting his burial outside the Vatican, and emphasizing his role as a bishop rather than as pope. The pope is also the Bishop of Rome.
Previous popes were buried in three coffins: one of cypress, one of lead and one of oak. Francis requested to be buried in a single wooden, zinc-lined coffin and not to be placed in an elevated bier as other popes were.
Here's when the pope's funeral will air in your time zone in the continental US:
- ET: April 26 at 4 a.m.
- CT: April 26 at 3 a.m.
- MT: April 26 at 2 a.m.
- PT: April 26 at 1 a.m.
Francis' body currently lies in rest at a guesthouse in Vatican City. On Wednesday, his coffin will be transported in a procession to St. Peter's Basilica to lie in state for mourners to visit until his funeral.
The papacy of Pope Francis was notable for reforming the Roman Catholic Church, as he appointed more than half of the current College of Cardinals and attempted to foster more positive attitudes toward members of the LGBT community and migrants worldwide.
Conclave: What happens next in choosing a pope
After Pope Francis' funeral, the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church will vote on his successor.
There are many matters for the cardinals to settle before the conclave begins -- but once it does, it can take days or even weeks to conclude. Two-thirds of the cardinals' votes are required to elect the next pope. The conclave occurs behind closed doors and the vote tally is never made public.
Read more: Where to Watch Conclave, the Vatican Thriller About Electing a New Pope
The ballots are burned after each round, and chemicals are added to the flames to produce black smoke if there's no majority, or white smoke when a pope has been chosen. Crowds gather in St. Peter's Square to watch for the results.
If you're fascinated by the process, a dramatized version of the events makes up the plot of the 2024 film Conclave.
In the movie, Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, who spearheads the election of the next pope while investigating rumors about potential candidates. The film is based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris and is completely fictional. In March, it won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.
You can stream Conclave on Amazon Prime Video, or rent the film for $6 on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, YouTube or Google Play Movies.