Preparations for Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican are reaching their peak, as thousands of faithful gather to bid their final farewell to the “Pope of the poor,” as millions called him in recognition of his humility. According to protocol, the coffin of Pope Francis will be ceremonially sealed tonight during a liturgical ritual at St. Peter’s Basilica at 8:00 PM.

According to reports, Cardinal Kevin Farrell from the United States, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, will preside over the Coffin Sealing Ceremony for the late Pope Francis ahead of tomorrow’s funeral. Several Cardinals and official guests of the Holy See are expected to attend the liturgy. This ritual will also mark the end of the public viewing of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica, where around 100,000 people have already paid their respects.

The Office for Liturgical Celebrations requested the attendance of several Cardinals for this evening’s ceremony, given the significance of tomorrow’s funeral.

Funeral and Novemdiales

The funeral service will begin Saturday at 10:00 AM in St. Peter’s Square, marking the start of the Novemdiales—a traditional nine-day period of mourning and Masses for the soul of the deceased Pope. Daily services will be held at 5:00 PM at St. Peter’s Basilica, except on Sunday, April 27, when the Divine Liturgy will take place at 10:30 AM in the square.

Tomb of Ligurian Marble

Pope Francis’s tomb has been constructed from marble sourced from Liguria, the region of his Italian grandparents. Located in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, it is a simple tomb bearing only the inscription “Franciscus” and a replica of the late Pope’s pectoral cross—according to his final wish.

The tomb is near the Altar of St. Francis, nestled in the apse between the Pauline Chapel (Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel. Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, co-archpriest of the basilica, said that Pope Francis wished to be buried in a tomb made of Ligurian stone, from his ancestors’ land.

In the small town of Cogorno, a slate plaque honors Bergoglio’s great-grandfather, Vincenzo Sivori, who emigrated from Italy to Argentina in the 1800s. He raised his family there, including Regina María Sivori, the Pope’s mother.

Pope Francis kept this Ligurian connection mostly private. Mayor Enrica Sommariva expressed her surprise upon learning that the Pope had requested stone from his ancestral region for his tomb.

According to Vatican News, Angela Sivori, who still lives in Cogorno, recalled discovering she was the Pope’s cousin when she received a call from Buenos Aires and a family tree via email. She and her daughter Cristina described the Pope’s request for the tombstone as “a wonderful gift” to the family—“a final surprise.”

In May 2017, Pope Francis met his family in Genoa. Cristina remembered that her then-87-year-old mother had no idea they would meet the Pope until just three days prior. “We got a call from the Vatican. Seven of us gathered—and he welcomed us like a cousin from ‘the end of the world.’”

A “Stone of the People”

Franca Garbaino, President of the Ligurian Slate Region, which includes 18 quarries and 12 companies in the hills of Liguria, described the stone as “not a noble stone,” but rather “a stone of the people”—one that “gives warmth.” The region has already agreed to produce additional plaques to accompany Pope Francis to his eternal rest.

Special Guests and Symbolic Gesture

The Italian Ministry of Justice granted special permission to six inmates to attend the burial at Santa Maria Maggiore, alongside the poor, Roma people, transgender individuals, and former sex workers—all of whom had personal encounters with Pope Francis. A total of 40 people who had met the Pope in recent years will lay a white rose on his grave.

Regarding political attendance, former U.S. President Donald Trump stated he would like to meet with all foreign leaders traveling to Rome. Attendance at the funeral was also confirmed by former U.S. President Joe Biden and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.