What is Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff ceremony? Pope Francis laid out in open coffin at the Vatican for the ritual

The Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff ceremony for Pope Francis was held on April 22, 2025, following his death. For those unversed, the Pope's death, attributed to a stroke following a coma and heart failure, was announced on Easter Monday (April 22).

The "Confirmation of the Death of the Pontiff" is the first ritual performed after the passing of a Pope. Traditionally, a Vatican doctor, dressed in white, was called to examine the body and provide a report detailing the cause of death. This examination took place in Pope Francis' private quarters at the Santa Marta residence in the Vatican.

The formal declaration of death took place at the residence's chapel, presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican's camerlengo and the late Pope's trusted aide. The ceremony lasted an hour. Pope Francis' body was placed in a simple wooden coffin, lined with zinc, according to a reform he proposed a few years ago. In the past, the late pontiffs were laid to rest in three nested coffins made of cypress, lead, and oak.

Pope Francis was laid in an open wooden coffin, dressed in red liturgical garments, a miter, and a pallium. During the ceremony, a Paschal candle was also lit. Farrell read the official declaration of death aloud, and then he wrote the official notice of death, including the medical certificate.

The body was then prepared for public viewing and moved to St. Peter's Basilica. In accordance with another change proposed by the late pontiff, the coffin will now be placed facing the pews rather than being on a raised platform inside the basilica.

---

Exploring Pope Francis's burial requests

Pope Francis' death was announced on Easter Monday, weeks after he was discharged from the hospital following a battle with bilateral pneumonia from February to March 2025. The late Pope was last seen on Easter, greeting people from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.

Pope Francis wrote his final testament before his death, which was made public after he passed away. In the testament, dated June 29, 2022, he requested to be laid to rest at St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome.

"Throughout my life, and during my ministry as a priest and bishop, I have always entrusted myself to the Mother of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin Mary. For this reason, I ask that my mortal remains rest - awaiting the day of the Resurrection - in the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major," the testament read.

"I wish my final earthly journey to end precisely in this ancient Marian sanctuary, where I would always stop to pray at the beginning and end of every Apostolic Journey, confidently entrusting my intentions to the Immaculate Mother, and giving thanks for her gentle and maternal care."

The testament also requests that Pope Francis' tomb be located between the "Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani)" and the "Sforza Chapel of the Basilica." The testament specifies that the tomb should be "simple, without particular ornamentation, bearing only the inscription: Franciscus."

According to his final testament, an unnamed benefactor is reportedly covering the cost of Pope Francis' funeral. The funeral, which will be presided over by the dean of the College of Cardinals, is scheduled for April 26, 2025. It will include a public viewing, funeral Mass, and burial. This will be followed by a nine-day mourning period known as "novendiali."

---

The new Pope will be elected after the mourning period. According to tradition, the conclave will begin 15 to 20 days following the Pope's death. Multiple votes are conducted to select the next Pope, with all cardinals under 80 expected to participate in the election. The new Pope is elected by a two-thirds plus one majority.